Hidden Beneath a Cloak
by emi lulu
Summary: My recollections are trapped forever in the mind of a boy that could never be. And so he never was. The life I was meant to lead is not a life at all, and therefore doesn't exist. What could be worse? [Zexion]
1. The Cloaked Schemer

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 1  
The Cloaked Schemer

If I remember it clearly…

He struck me first.

I know he'd gotten angry at me before, as they all have, but no one had ever struck me before. No one. I was terrified as I stumbled back over my feet. I went crashing into my father's bookshelf, a look of pain and horror bleeding from my face. I couldn't speak.

There was a shrill scream. I believe it to be my mother. My arm was numb, but she came rushing towards me, clenching it so tight that I'm sure that's how I felt it. There were tears in my eyes. I was afraid to blink. I refused to let them fall. I just stared, dumbfounded and inane, at my father… and at his trembling fist.

He had no idea what to do with himself.

His chest rose ferociously, as he took large, angry breaths, glaring paths of hatred through my eyes. My mother began to scream at him, but her screams were no more audible than my whimpering. I bit down on my tongue, trying to contain myself and hold myself from crying. It was inevitable. The first tear fell and I rubbed it away ignorantly. My mother touched my face, caressing my cheeks softly to see if I was okay. I didn't look at her. My eyes could no longer tear themselves from my father's grasp.

He sneered at me.

"Is this what you want?" He asked me, brusquely.

I didn't reply. My throat was dry and my mouth… I could no longer form proper words. Everything that came out was a short breath, a whimper… I didn't want to cry, but I knew that at that moment, I didn't have much of a choice. My father was not the type of person you could remain strong against. He had a will of steel and a mind like gold. What he thought, what he believed and what he owned made up his world of illusionary success. I could never hope for such a world myself. Such a life was never meant to be mine.

"Answer me." His teeth grit, his eyes narrowed… I dared not look away. "When your mother has given everything for you, when I have given the world to keep you safe—you would turn your back on us and desert us—?"

It's not like that. … I couldn't say it, but I wanted to.

Fuck…

… fucking academics were all that ever mattered to anyone. And is my father any different? He is a man of stature and I am a boy of innocence. When I grow older, I want to be a man of knowledge—not, as some so fondly refer to me as, an asshole. Born into the Neves family, I had no choice but to follow a preplanned life and act as if it was my own. I can never remember a time when my life has been my own. I was born, schooled and bred to care about others in such a way that I was to be their keeper. 'He will be a doctor," my father often says, 'a fine man of medicine and surgical procedures!' He boasts about it like no tomorrow, but I know he says it for reassurance. My mother agrees with him because, like her father, she is a doctor as well and knows the benefits this comes with. My cousins—doctors. My grandparents—doctors. My neighbors—doctors. This… is like medicinal suicide. It makes no sense. If the life of a doctor is so beneficial, then why doesn't anyone become one of their free will?

I want to study.

My father says it's a waste if I don't know what I should study. He decided, medicine. I decided, psychology. He threw a fit. The first in a year. He told me psychology, studying minds, studying brains, studying hearts—gets you nowhere. He told me such a life will never belong to any son of his. That wasn't the first time I cursed the day I was born a Neves.

My father reconciles. He told me, 'Ienzo, son, studying anatomy is just as beneficial'. He told me anatomy can tie in with psychology and the study of the brain, and in studying anatomy I can still have enough time to become a successful doctor. I told him—fuck off. He threw a fit. The second that year.

"Answer me, goddamnit!" He yelled at me once more, slamming his hand across his desk. A clutter of papers, books and stationery fell to the ground in disarray. My mother battled with consoling me or rearranging the papers. "Fucking hell, Maria—leave the boy alone!" he snapped at her, shaking an angry fist her way.

She glared at him, tears streaming down her face. "Would you stop yelling at him, Erik! Jesus Christ—he's my son! He's _our_ son—how could you—!" She kept repeating 'how could you' over and over again… enough to make me sick. I had enough of living through this.

"Tell me—" my father spoke up, sternly, advancing towards me menacingly. He stopped short a foot or two away from my face, leering over me like a madman. He yelled at me so loud his voice would ring in my ears. He was standing so close I could feel his anger reverberating off my chest. Scared, scared, scared… "Tell me—what the fuck were you thinking, canceling your application to Briggs?" he asked, heatedly.

Briggs was a prestigious medicine school, as you might have already guessed. My father was a graduate, my mother was a graduate, my grandparents were graduates… it was a pretty damn old school.

I was shaking. My eyes were stinging. My face—it hurt. It hurt. It _hurt_ me… that my father would…

… "Are beneficiaries all that great?" I asked him, coldly. The first thing I had dared to say. He raised his fist at me but my mother forcefully pushed it away. His breathing was heavy and fierce. Mine was worse. I glared at him, hatred pouring from my eyes like water. He didn't look responsive. He didn't have an answer.

I could sense as much.

With great difficulty, I pushed him far away from me. He stumbled back, enraged but bewildered at my words, I figured. "Is it?" I asked him again, just as callously. My voice was no longer trembling as it had been. "Because if that's your only fucking reason, then forget it—"

"Watch your mouth…" he mumbled, bitterly. "…when you're talking to me."

I ignored him. "Do you only want the pride of saying 'that's my son' only if he's a doctor? Because the fucking benefits are good?"

"Ienzo—"

I shook my head. I was shaking now. I could see the anger building up ferociously in his eyes. By now my mother had let go of me. Her eyes filled with a distinct loneliness that, to this day, I will never forget. I felt alienated. But I refused to hold my tongue. "Do you want a doctor for a son, or a son for a doctor? Which one is it? Either way, if I'm old and alone, rich or a fucking beggar on the street, I will never recognize you as being my father!"

That was the end.

I was expelled.

After my father beat the living shit out of me, and my mother, my dearest mother, stood and watched—I left. There was no room for me there anymore. There was no life for a Neves that was not a doctor.

It was raining murder that night. It was just me and nothing more. The wind was howling among the rooftops of Radiant Garden. Suddenly, the garden wasn't so radiant anymore. I sat at the street corner five minutes from my house. I was terrified. I was alone. I had always been alone in the emotional sense, but now that I was alone… truly, really and physically alone… I was terrified. Where would I go? What would I do with my life? By disagreeing to succumb to my father's doctoral dreams, I had thus far disconnected myself with my ex-relations immediately. No doubt every other Neves across town had heard of my spiral towards sin, and they had locked their doors for the fear that I would come and beg for sympathy.

Well. I didn't fucking need any sympathy.

… at that time, all I needed were dry clothes, some food and possibly an umbrella. Neither of which floated gracefully down from the greedy hands of God. If I died and woke up in heaven, I told myself I would have to have a word with them.

Contrary to my belief, I did not wake up dead. I woke up very much alive, in a parlor on an elaborately made velvet chair. I was startled and confused. For one, this wasn't my previous home. And two, I don't remember carrying myself to such a place. I forced myself to sit up and greet my captors with thanks. Just the night before, I remember feeling so pitiful, so unloved, so alone… and now, I was warm, dry and under a roof. A very high, nicely decorated roof too. Judging by the extensive bookshelf, the marble fireplace and the wonderfully polished floors, I was assuming these weren't just ordinary captors that took me in. I was gracious for that because, before I passed out last night, I wondered how adjusting to a different social status might feel like, but lucky me I would never have to encounter such a problem.

The doors cracked open.

A man wearing a white lab coat entered. I froze instantly, clutching onto the chair in a fearful manner. The man had sleek black and grey hair, tied back in a long, messy… greasy ponytail. Scars lined his face, which I quickly assumed to be battle scars, and a black band, an eyepatch, was tied uncouthly across his right eye. He looked like… a pirate. I was in awe, and yet so terrified at the same time. He approached me quickly, taking long strides towards the sofa. When he reached there, he sat down by my feet and stared at me, a haughty look smeared across his features.

"You alright, kid?" he asked, gruffly.

I nodded at once. I dare not hesitate.

He cracked a smile at me. It was really disturbing. The creases of his scars curved, the wrinkles along his forehead bended… though the man was decked with a fair share of graying hair, I never once thought he was old. The way in which he talked, the wrinkles on his face; they weren't signs of aging or the passing of time, they were signs of experience. Although I appeared horrified of him, I felt he had a warm aura about him. My hands slowly unclenched themselves from the sofa.

"You got a name?" he asked me at once, getting to his feet.

I stuttered a feeble reply. "I-Ienzo… Neves."

"Neves?" he answered, surprised, and then bent over to peer wholeheartedly into my face. I was trembling but I didn't have the energy, or the ignorance, to retreat from him. He hummed and scanned my face carefully. I looked away the whole time, hoping he would realize this was extremely uncomfortable and provoked the questioning of his sexuality, but when I looked at him, I noticed he had reached for the band around his right eye. He lifted it slowly to reveal a battered eye, damaged and robbed of pigment. Later, I recall him explaining to me that it was an accident from when he was young; radioactive chemicals left his right eye blind. Although at this time, I was terrified to see such a disfigured article. I gasped, holding my tongue in my throat.

The man laughed. "You a Neves, boy?" he straightened back up and replaced the band around his eye. "I knew a few of them when I used to visit that area. But I don't go 'round there anymore. Too uptight. But hell, if I'd'a known someone like you lived up there, I'd'a done thought that neighborhood had gone to ruins." He let out a slight chuckle.

He was right. If you ever visited the section of town that I was from, you would notice they invest in two things: suits and hair gel. The men's hair was gelled back, short and cropped. Always. No exceptions. The women had mid-length hair, tied back in a respectable bun. Always. No exceptions. My hair not only fell over my eyes, but it nearly brushed my top lip, which was clearly unacceptable. I also owned no suits, one tie and maybe a pocket-watch, but besides that, I was not meant for a life of prestige in the way a Neves usually was.

I gave a short smile at the man's comment. It hurt my face. It'd been so long since I'd shown any other emotion than 'scared', 'terrified', 'horrified', 'pissed', 'shocked'—did you notice? This man's laugh made me feel a bit more comforted and that maybe I wasn't kidnapped after all.

The man introduced himself as Braig Sujan. He was a scientist, an apprentice studying light energy. He explained to me that I was in a castle owned by the great Ansem the Wise, and that it was Ansem himself that found me. When I heard of this, I was, needless to say, shocked and terrified. I had heard legends of Ansem the Wise and although I'd seen him on TV and heard him over the radio, I still couldn't really believe that he existed. Not only was he an acclaimed ruler of Radiant Garden, but he was a scientist, and a magnificent one at that. I had read his works on disruptions of the heart, development of the body in relation to the heart and the studying of shockwaves in relation to emotions. Never have I, in my young age, read something so captivating. It still amazes me that I sat through all those books and read them word for word. Though I loved to study, I had never been one for books. Can you believe it?

I was ecstatic to even hear of Ansem the Wise's name, and so I asked Braig, the first thing I'd really said all day, "Have you… read anything by him?" I felt like a book nerd trying to find someone to gush about a book with, but oh, that's really what I was.

Braig laughed again and shook his head. "I don't see a real need in that stuff." He lowered his voice and told me. "Ansem's a genius, really he is. He's been trying to mix my work with his for ages, and I don't blame him, since there can be a relation. But he really needs to think about what he's doing. Some of the things he thinks—"

"He _is _a genius." I told him, stately.

Braig looked at me with nothing short of a smirk and scratched his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But have you met him?" he asked, leering at me. He gave a short laugh when he saw my stern expression fall so suddenly. "Haven't even seen your rescuer, eh?"

'Well I just woke up, retard', I wanted to say. But I didn't. I looked down at my hands and shook my head. He approached the door in his long strides and called over his shoulder, "Follow me."

I scrambled to my feet and rushed to join him as he left through the door. My joints were aching and I was convinced I would catch a cold from passing out in the rain, but I kept up eagerly. I desperately wanted to see this Ansem. I desperately wanted to see what knowledge I had abandoned my family for.

Braig took me down a long, long corridor decked with paintings and figures hanging off the walls and at every corner. Though the hallway was elaborate, he strode through it as if he constructed it himself. I was sure two or three of the hallways looked the same and I had no idea how he managed to remember where to take a right or to take a left. We eventually reached a marble hallway that began halfway towards a door at the end of the hall. He pushed the door open and we entered a study. I was in awe; there were posters of scientific equations tacked up on walls and a gigantic chalkboard, there was a desk piled up with textbooks—and behind it, was a man.

Golden hair flowed down his head, matched by an accomplice, a golden beard. He looked like everything I wanted to be in life; successful—and intelligent. To me, he was the epitome of knowledge. Though Braig had entered, I stood at the doorway, trembling. If it were, I would collapse then and there in utter embarrassment.

The man looked up at me from behind his books and took a moment to bend his spectacles downwards so he could see me. I looked up at him. When our eyes locked, it was like staring face-to-face with my father. I couldn't look away. The same mesmerized feeling I had with my father, I possessed here. But he smiled at me. Unlike my father, Ansem the Wise… he smiled at me. He surely did tip his glasses, look me in the eye and smile at me, like a father would… to their child.

That made all the difference.

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So what do you think:x

I went crazy with descriptions, I know. :x

By the way, if you haven't figured it out. Ienzo is Zexion :D So… yes. It's his point-of-view. … okay. :D I appreciate it so much if you took the time to read! And I'll love you if you review :DD … so review… please :D Next chapter with feedback


	2. The Superior

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 2  
The Superior

It had been close to a week since I had been in Ansem's castle. As time passed, I had become accustomed to being there, but one thing remained mysterious to me. Why had Ansem decided on keeping me here? I was only a child, really, in comparison to the others that I met there. I was only 17, although I was often told that I had knowledge beyond my years. I let my ego absorb such ideas, but I really didn't believe them. There was so much I wanted to learn.

"You are a bright student, Ienzo." He told me once. It was then that I realized that I was no longer a captive or a runaway. Instead, I was a student. A student of Ansem the Wise! If someone were to tell me that this would be my fate, I would laugh at them and deem them an idiot. But it was really happening. I was really his student. I was really his apprentice… this beat getting into Briggs, any day.

Many of Ansem's students would come and go as the days turned into weeks. Some of them because of moral conflicts and some of them because of tactless decisions. I would talk to Braig, and he would tell me more about Ansem's work. Ansem the Wise, as respected as he was, surely was dabbling in matters that should not concern any human being. I read his books with a childish wonder, but now as an apprentice of his work, I found his ideas both magnificent and horrifying.

As the weeks passed, I remember him calling for me. I headed to his office in anticipation for what his request might be. I pushed open the door to his office and found him seated at his desk. Around him were 3 other males of respectable height and nature… and Braig. They all gave me cautious looks as I entered and shut the door behind me. Ansem smiled at me once more and tipped his spectacles downwards.

I couldn't possibly begin to understand the reason that he called us in that room. When matched in experience, I was at the lower end of the spectrum. The others, even Braig, emitted an aura that I could sense, and they all seemed years ahead of me. And yet, Ansem had called me in with them. It was… touching, to say the least.

"You are all I have left." Those were the first words he said. I looked at him. Suddenly, he no longer possessed the same readiness he had before. He looked defeated. For the first time, I had seen Ansem the Wise in his most vulnerable state. … and I hated it. I hated seeing him this pitiful. A man this powerful, this respectable, this intelligent, should not have to bow down to the conforms of society. I looked away in spite. "Those I have mentored and accepted… they have all deserted me." He told us. Looking around for a sympathetic face, he sighed, "I have decided to change my research directions. But… but I need your help."

Dilan spoke. Dilan Caldwell. He was as mismatched as Braig and I. With long black dreadlocks and sideburns to kill, he was the least anyone would expect to be an intellect. But he was. And he was quite bright too. He said, "Exactly what directions are there to take? Studying the heart is a dangerous subject—we're just… apprentices, sir. We're not cut out for that kind of stuff—"

"Bullshit!" the one named Elaeus Spears, a flaming orange-haired brute, spoke. He pounded his fist into the wall beside him and I shook slightly. With an angry demeanour, he said, "Don't ever question Ansem's propositions! Sir—" he turned to Ansem, pleadingly. "—don't give up your dream! Like I wouldn't—like Even here wouldn't give up his motives, you better not give up yours—"

"On the contrary, Elaeus," Even began, testily. Even Bancroft was definitely the most prestigious I'd seen since I left home. With long dirty blond hair that swirled about his shoulders, and square spectacles rested atop his nose, he… looked more like a doctor. I felt somewhat of an admiration for him… but when I looked at him, I saw my father in a wig. Even crossed his arms and fixed his glasses. "If I knew my experiments were a harm to humankind, I would not carry on with them. You may say for the sake of science, but what is science when you have no humans?" he rolled his eyes. "Ansem, sir, I support your projects and I will aid you in any way possible. But you need to know when the line is crossed."

"Don't patronize him," Braig told him, brashly. He sneered at him, "If I'd'a thought any better, I'd'a think you were selling out, Even—"

"There is no such thing as a sell out in science, Braig." Even replied, sternly. He lowered his eyes at him. "If my research does not benefit anyone, then who am I selling out to?"

I took a deep breath. Deep and shaky. "What about… yourself?" I was unaware I spoke, but soon enough the other four turned to me with looks of shock and confusion. Braig smirked at me and crossed his arms, smugly. Ansem looked delighted. I forced myself to keep quiet but he gestured for me to continue, he prodded for me to continue… it was touching. I cleared my throat. "I… I… I'm sure that if this were for another person, it would seem beneficial…" As I said that, I began to think of my father. How he used to look at the benefits of everything… benefits… a bunch of BS. I shook my head, "Well, what the fuck are benefits supposed to do for anyone?"

Everyone stayed silent at my random outburst. Ansem raised an eyebrow at me, but he allowed me to continue. I nodded. "If you only look at benefits, what does that say? You're only doing something because you'll get compensation? Is that what science is about? Is it about compensation? Do you slave over experiments and theories day after day because—because you want compensation—?"

"Depends on the kind of compensation." Even spoke up. I disliked him for interrupting me. He adjusted his glasses. "If by compensation, you mean results, then by all means, isn't that the point—?"

"No," I said, with a roll of my eyes. "By compensation, I mean recognition—and benefits. A result is not compensation, it's an achieved goal. And if you think otherwise, then you're just a prick who doesn't understand the reason people undergo experiments to begin with!"

The room went silent.

I can tell you one thing, 'prick' is not academic language.

I wanted to apologize, but I didn't think that would seem very mature.

At that moment, I seriously, honestly, and truthfully felt the youngest.

Braig broke the silence. He laughed. I looked at him. He laughed. I was unable to tell whether or not he was laughing at me or with me, but he was laughing. I hardly appreciated it. I bet he thought I was just being a mouthy two-year old. I was surprised to see him give me two thumbs-up amidst his laughing.

Even glared at him. He also glared at me, but I seldom seem to catch when people glare at me.

I turned to Ansem the Wise. And he smiled at me. Like a father would to his child, he smiled at me. At that moment, I did feel like his child. After a brief moment's applause, which did cause some confusion amongst the other four, he said, "The boy is right."

Preparations were underway for Sir Ansem's experimental research. He reformed his thinking to match that of ours, and Even's, and he briefed us on his goal, the solitary thing he wanted to achieve. He wanted to probe the depths of a person's heart, discover where there is light and where there is dark. In accordance to hormonal balances, he wanted to discover what exactly triggers the darkness or light in a person's heart. He related it to psychology, telling us it was the same as finding out positive from negative thoughts of a person's brain. I was impressed, to say the least.

And so our strenuous tasks began. It took us months, close to a year possibly, to find an exact source for our research. Prior to that, we sat around in the lounge, drank coffee and ate crumpets all day, attempting to think of something logical. It would only be the five of us. Ansem had often deserted us to check up on other matters concerning the town, and in that he trusted in us fully with the beginnings of his research.

Elaeus lit a cigarette. I hated it when he smoked in the lounge, because I was asthmatic. The others didn't seem to mind as much, and Braig, it seemed, went into a phase of euphoria every time the smoke wafted past him. Elaeus blew smoke rings carelessly out of his nostrils like a bull, and heaved a heavy sigh. "This is impossible." His words were cold, and they stung like ice. Suitable to his nature, when things got too complicated, he gave up. What a fucking bitch.

"Nothing is impossible." Even would say, teasingly. But it had been a year. I could tell he was bordering on sarcasm. Every day he would bring forth his notebook with his theories and scribbles and every day we would look at them, trying to decipher his writing and trying to use his thinking as a basis for Ansem's work. "See here," he pointed to a section on the page. "I figured that in order to delve into the depths of the human heart, we must somehow… coincide with human emotions and memories, because they are what unlock the feelings of the heart. Understand?"

"Oh fun." Braig groaned, monotonously. Even scowled at him. Ignoring him nonchalantly, Braig shrugged, "It's easy to say, but how do you just… 'coincide with human emotions—'?"

"That's what we have to figure out." Even sneered at him. "Hell, don't bitch at me when I'm the only one really thinking here—"

"I admire your theories." I raised a hand innocently, and he looked over at me right away. Braig raised a suspicious eyebrow at me, but truthfully at that time I was being genuine. For a year, we'd gather here every morning, afternoon and evening, and collectively, we've come up with nothing. Even was a true scientist, and a brilliant one, I could tell.

He didn't glare at me as I expected. I figured he would assume I was just being a mouthy two-year-old again, and write me off as a lunatic. But instead he showed a short smile, his sarcastic tone still remaining. "Good to know I'm having an impact on the kid."

"I have a question." Dilan raised his hand as well. "If we're doing all this research for Sir Ansem, then why isn't he here with us? I know we should be able to carry on his work without his presence, but really, it was his dream before it was our job."

Braig nodded. "True say."

"He's busy." Even spoke up, solemnly.

Dilan raised a confused eyebrow at Even, portraying a startled countenance. I could suspect Dilan figured no reason for Ansem to be straying away from his work. And as I suspected also, Dilan asked, "What could he possibly be so busy with? He only meets with us once a week if we're lucky, and if I remember clearly, in the past month, we've only seen him twice." His voice raised a little as he addressed Even. "You seem to know something. Tell us."

Even shrugged. "There is nothing to tell."

"I agree with Dilan." Elaeus finally put out his cigarette and sat up straight, peering, for once, quite seriously at Even. "I say, if you want our input, you tell us what _our_ teacher has been doing for the past year without us."

That was the first time I'd heard of him.

His name was Xehanort. Tall, pale, elegant, an emblem of silver hair… He seemed to me all too ethereal, and his story seemed much more astonishing to believe. Earlier this year, Ansem the Wise had found him outside in the rain, on the point of malnutrition and suffering from a complicated blood disorder. He had taken him in for treatment and was partially responsible in nursing him back to health. For the majority of the year, this man named Xehanort was in the hospital, and Ansem would frequently go and visit him. Xehanort had no recollection of his past, he couldn't remember he was even sick and he couldn't seem to remember where he was before he passed out that night in the rain. As ignorance is bliss, I kept to myself, believing his story was nothing but BS, but Ansem was duly interested in his development as a person. He was impressed by how fast Xehanort recovered and by how rapid his progress was. Xehanort took an interest in Ansem's work and Ansem took an interest in him.

Within a year's time, Xehanort was with us; the sixth apprentice.

"Is he mad?" Elaeus was furious, to say the least. Xehanort's joining never sat well with him in the beginning. "Is he fucking mad? How can he just—just bring up our numbers as if we ourselves aren't capable of such work?"

"You're one to speak." Even said, sharply. Elaeus held his tongue but glared at Even menacingly. "I think," Even began. "a new apprentice should help. If there's something we're missing, he'll be sure to help us. The goal is Ansem's research—"

"Yes, and." Braig interrupted, hotly. He scoffed, "Does anyone even believe this guy's real? Did you hear 'bout him? No past, no memory—sounds like somethin' out of a science fiction movie! He's like an enigma—"

"What he is, is a genius." Dilan said, sternly. "If Sir Ansem believes in him, then I will. Elaeus—this is _not_ something you or I have the authority to question. So shut it."

"Why're you bitching at me? Braig hates the fucker's guts too—!"

"Jesus Christ…" I mumbled, under my breath. I wasn't aware my small remark would catch everyone's attention, but at that, everyone turned to look at me. I couldn't read any of their expressions, nor could I guess what reaction they had based on my remark. I opened my mouth to speak, but the instant I did, the massive doors creaked open slowly. We all focused our attention solely on our visitor.

It was Ansem the Wise. Behind him, was Xehanort. He, too, was dressed in a white lab coat and possessed a demeanour of superiority. Dare I say it, but he would fit in perfectly fine amongst us.

As Ansem introduced us, Xehanort scanned us all carefully. I could tell because I was scanning him carefully too. It was uncanny and somewhat bizarre that this man, whom I saw as clear as day in front of me, really did possess no past and no memories. I believe this alone sparked Ansem's interest in Xehanort. I smiled to myself because at that time I saw Xehanort as an experiment, not a replacement.

I joked with Ansem.

This would be the end of my joking.

Ansem was busy in his office one evening and I entered, greeted him appropriately and took a seat across from him. He looked up at me momentarily with a smile before returning to his work. Usually, his smile would linger a moment longer. But this time, I could sense his urgency and I could sense his distance. It didn't bother me at that time, but it should've. I admit—I was angered. I retained my smile anyway, and I told him, "Xehanort would make a good experiment, wouldn't he?"

At this, he looked at me, a hint of confusion buried in his features. "What ever do you mean, Ienzo?" he asked me.

Another smile. "I know Sir Ansem's mind quite well, if you don't mind me saying so. As capable as we are, it did seem like all we needed was some sort of a push, I suppose. So I really appreciate him joining our 'campaign' towards your research. If we could just somehow tap into his psyche—"

"Ienzo." He interrupted me. I didn't dislike him for interrupting me, but it annoyed me a little. The look he gave me annoyed me. Why did he look so tense? He spoke softly yet sternly. "Ienzo… Xehanort… is a bright _student_."

I was appalled.

When I heard Ansem say those words… I remembered how he had so fondly said them to me… that I was his bright student. And now… because of Xehanort… bullshit, it was all bullshit! What is… why is he…? I don't understand… had he really taken Xehanort in because he was so skilled in our matters? At that time, I saw him as a replacement… and nothing more.

Time pressed on and our experimental factor grew. Finally, we had something to base Even's theories on. Xehanort proved most stimulus in our discussions. He made Even's whack theories into something believable. Even I admired the silver-haired pompous of a man for that. As Xehanort began to take more of an interest in us, so did Ansem once more. He had joined us for the first time in two years.

"So where exactly does the passageway to the heart lie?" It was Elaeus. It was also the most productive thing I think I've ever heard him say.

Xehanort slapped his hands together manically and shook his head. "I don't believe there is one." He looked at Ansem. "What do you think, sir?"

"Well, as I've been saying, I believe there may be one that is hidden between the mind and the soul… it only makes sense." He shrugged simply and got up. Heading over to his chalkboard, he began to scribble. "When a person's heart fails, they die, but they are still left with body and soul. When a person's soul leaves them, they fall into a coma, but they are still living. How can one not coincide without the other?"

"My thoughts exactly." Even nodded.

"The answer lies within the—the mind." Ansem drew a rough sketch of the human brain on the board. "See here. Within the mind are thoughts, memories and ideas hidden away in the very chasm of its being. They can only be unlocked with the heart, whereas it is the heart that wills the mind to work. Do you see how everything is connected?"

We answered simultaneously, and Ansem smiled. "What we must find out is the secret way in which they do interact. Once we figure that out, we have our passageway… into the depths of the heart." He gave a nostalgic smile and turned towards us.

"This is all interesting, but you know," Braig spoke up. He cleared his throat. "We can assume all we want and make up as much theories as there are, but we need to prove it."

"Yes, I was just thinking that…" Dilan added, nodding. "I agree with Xehanort's ideas and yours, sir. But… how can we prove such a chasm exists within the mind? How can we prove it even relates to the heart?"

Ansem shrugged and laughed. He said, as if it was as easy as pie, "We perform some psychological tests to see how the brain reacts—oh, Dilan, Braig, I've always seen you both as the sceptical ones." He laughed more and crossed his arms. "It really isn't a question of how, it is a question of when. When—when do we start? Any suggestions?"

"It is a question of how, sir," I said, bluntly. He turned to look at me, no longer with the same patriarchal look he used to possess for me… but I could tell now, he saw me as only his student… and no longer his son. "It's a question of how, indefinitely. How do we test it? Who do we test it on?"

The room went silent. Braig and Dilan exchanged all-knowing looks, and I admit, I had to agree with them. Such a question had seemed more than obvious to me, but Ansem seemed to have gotten carried away in the romanticized version of his research. It would need more than simple addition to solve this equation.

"On me."

It was like a silent movie. As soon as he said that… as soon as Xehanort said that… everything slowed down. We all turned to look at him in shock, confusion… although I had disliked him for taking my place, although I had first seem him as an experiment, I never expected him to think the same as me. He cracked a short smile. "Don't look surprised. I dare say but I am the perfect candidate." At this, he turned to Ansem. "Experiment on me. If in any way this can benefit us… it may also help me r-regain my memories."

"Xehanort…" Ansem mumbled, distantly. I could see the anguish in his eyes. What did it feel like? I would say close to letting your own son leave for war. I felt Ansem's sadness but I also shared in Xehanort's passion.

I too wanted to unlock his every memory. I wanted to find out who my replacement really was.

* * *

Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed on chapter 1:D Hope you liked this chapter too ;; 


	3. Distortion and Imbalance

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

---

Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 3  
Distortion and Imbalance

And so the experiments began.

We were all responsible for coming up with a suitable method in testing Xehanort's brain without harming it. Ansem was worried as he had never tested on humans this way before, but Xehanort reassured him everything would be okay. I would have assured him the same, if it was the outcome I wanted.

"It's a simple test of brain patterns." Even explained to us. I was partially responsible for Even's experimental procedures in the beginning, but if there's one thing I'd learned about Even at that time, it was that he was used to working alone. He valued my presence and oftentimes allowed me to assist him, but more often than not, he would work by himself. He drew out a simple sketch of the brain and outlined the areas that needed to be tested. "We need to test Xehanort's cerebral responses to certain attitudes and see what the brain produces thereafter. If we can unlock what he reacts to, we can find a way to unlock his memories and connect to his heart."

"How long will this connection take?" Elaeus asked, arms crossed sternly. "Is this a long-term procedure? Or can it be deduced in a few hours, days, weeks?"

"It will take a while." I told him, nodding. "If we can analyze the results, we should come to a conclusion within a few weeks. But that's only the beginning."

Elaeus, content with my answer, gave a shrewd nod and nothing more.

The five of us were uncertain as to what the outcome would be. Ansem did not join in our inquiries, instead he and Xehanort talked about the psychological procedures. I knew it meant nothing to me, but I felt shunned… I was more eager than ever to uncover the truth.

The tests were a minimal success.

After searching through Xehanort's memories, we uncovered nothing from his past. It appeared something had been damaged in his brain, causing a bout of amnesia prior to night we found him. It was astonishing now, because it seemed as though he had no recollection of being stranded in the rain. For our minimal success, we had amazing results.

However.

There was a visible link between the mind's thoughts and the heart's emotions.

"Just as presumed." Braig mumbled, overlooking the collected data. He flipped through the pages of reports he wrote and handed a page to Dilan. Dilan scanned over it evasively and looked up at him. Braig pointed to the page, "The mind does stimulate the heart, but in the same way, the mind is stimulated by the heart."

"Interesting." Dilan sighed. He handed the page to Xehanort, who overlooked it quickly. His countenance read anything but enthralled as he scanned the page. I assumed he was hoping he would be able to unlock something from his past. Dilan gave him a pat on the shoulder. "With this information, we still might be able to uncover something. So you shouldn't give up hope."

"What more hope should I have?" he muttered, bitterly.

Even took the page and read over it. "This makes sense." He said, half-heartedly. "I suppose we all understand what must be done here." At this, he folded the page, handed it to Braig and waited for a response.

Truthfully, I had a vague idea of what he meant, but I supposed collectively, we had no idea what he was even talking about. When it appeared no response was to be given, he gave another exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "We can connect to the heart through the mind. That means—" he rushed over to the board and wrote, in large letters, "—there is a _pas-sage-way_ to the heart through the mind." He underlined the word 'passageway'.

"We're not dumbfucks." Elaeus groaned, monotonously.

Even ignored him. "What is a passageway, people? It's a two-way street. You can pass either way."

Elaeus grumbled this time. "Did you not just hear me when I said we're not dumbfucks?"

"Then fucking think, and shut up!" Even snapped at him. He pointed firmly to the board. "This passageway does go both ways. I know it does. The proof is in Sir Ansem's teachings and Xehanort's results. Remember? They are interconnected, they coincide with each other—Emotions trigger thoughts, which trigger emotions, which trigger thoughts—it's a never-ending cycle. See here. We have already unsuccessfully tried to connect Xehanort's memories to his emotions. Who's to say we can't try it the other way around?"

Dilan held up a hand. "As in—we perform the same tests, except… on his heart?"

With a smug smile, Even nodded, "Exactly."

At this moment, I sided with Even a great deal. I agreed in his hypothesis. I enjoyed in his way of thinking. His sheer genius made me writhe with joy and I felt as if there was progress being made on Sir Ansem's research. I felt like a happy schoolboy. I could not wait until the first procedures were to take place. The six of us, including Xehanort, who seemed most thrilled at this discovery, began to talk about how this would affect him, what it would include, and so on.

Incredible progress was being made, but I could not help but feel as if Sir Ansem's heart was not fully in this. I would watch him occasionally and I noticed how he distanced himself from us oftentimes. I approached him, but he never mentioned feeling excluded. He would watch us improve in our tactics and we would watch him slip further and further away.

Finally, the day came for the experiment on Xehanort.

Sir Ansem did not join us.

That was less significant and not enough to hinder our spirits at the time.

Compared to our initial research, this project was much more successful—and efficient. We deduced our results within a few hours, while the medicine was still taking its toll on Xehanort. As ecstatic as we were for our diagnosis, we were still uncertain as to why Xehanort had not awakened when we had taken off his sedation tubes. Elaeus was responsible for diverting our attention. "Someone, call Sir Ansem! Tell him the basis of his research is complete!" he was grinning.

"Read the entire prognosis." Dilan told Even. "I'm still puzzled. What exactly is it that we just found out here?"

Even nodded and pushed his reading glasses further up his nose. "The passageway to the heart of the body… while interconnected through the mind, the heart is less likely to be reached on its own without a simple gesture, a feeling. The substance created once this feeling is sent towards the heart creates a hormonal imbalance, and… subject's brainwaves are manipulated…" he looked at his report again and shook his head a little. "This is odd, even for me."

Nothing is ever odd for Even, because he forces things to make sense. This is why we all had the same reaction to his words; confusion, fear… I peered over his shoulder and glanced at the diagrams and scribbles. "… imbalance?" I mumbled, distantly. I continued to read. "… heart creates a hormonal imbalance, and the subject's brainwaves are then manipulated towards the feeling. This is a vulnerable state for the heart. … tests proved positive. Hormonal imbalance within the heart lies within the imbalance of light and dark…" I glanced at Even and he looked back at me. Neither of us knew what to say just then.

... in basic short, the experiment showed that due to hormonal changes, it has revealed that there is an imbalance of light and dark within Xehanort. Just so we're all on the same track here—

Braig spoke. "Imbalance of light and dark? How?"

Even shook his head. "I don't know. It's not to say that there's something extremely wrong with Xehanort, because the physicals were okay—"

"So where's all that coming from?" Elaeus asked, looking over his shoulder. In the next room, Xehanort was still lying unconscious and drugged from the experiments. He didn't stir an inch. "… can we see the results from the physical?" he asked, slowly.

"He said the physicals were okay." Dilan told him. Dilan was one to get especially protective over his work. He saw no need in double-checking things, especially things he was in charge of. He shook his head. "No, the answer does not lie within the physicals. Perhaps the experiment went wrong—"

"The experiment was fine." Even told him, sternly.

"Maybe we should do another test." I suggested. "I suppose this imbalance can either be one of two things: something was miscalculated during the experiment or after the experiment, or this is a case that lies within Xehanort, and Xehanort alone."

Braig raised an eyebrow at me. "What?" he questioned. "You're either saying one of two things: one, that we screwed up, or two, that he's the screw-up."

I shrugged. "We have to test both theories."

Neither Dilan nor Even were happy to hear my words. Testing Xehanort would not be an issue, but fixing the experiments… that would strike a serious chord with them both. Even had to delve deeper into his theories to be able to come up with something less generic, and Dilan had to thoroughly check that Xehanort was in top shape to be undergoing such a test.

Xehanort awoke short after we split up again for our separate priorities. However, something was different about him.

He began to tell us that his chest was hurting and we immediately panicked. "Perhaps we overdid it!", "We shouldn't have used such high frequency!", "It was the sedation! The sedation was too much!"—we were all panicking like baby chickens with our feet stuck together. We sat him down, told him to tell us of how he felt, what was different—anything we could compile for our database.

"Well…" he gave a short sigh and grasped his chest. "When I… when I breathe, I can… hear it echo… up here." He pointed to his head. I spotted Even scribbling this down frantically. "And—I can hear my heartbeat in my head as well. …if I touch my chest, I can't feel it. It's as if it's numb. But when I… feel… anything at all, whether it be shock, confusion, fear… my chest begins to hurt."

"Interesting…" Elaeus mumbled, gawking at Xehanort. "So… so this passageway… would this mean that we've successfully uncovered its mystery?"

"I wouldn't say so." I told him, subjectively. "Look—if there's all these side effects… I wouldn't call this a successful experiment."

"While you were sleeping," Braig spoke up. "We read through the results and diagnosed that there's an imbalance of light and dark in your heart. This is only odd because… there's not supposed to be an imbalance." He told him, staring directly into his eyes.

Xehanort looked downcast—and quickly grabbed his chest, wincing in pain.

"Should we do a quick scan? See if there's anything wrong with your… internals?" Dilan asked. Xehanort only shook his head. Dilan shrugged, "Well, what now? We can't do another test on Xehanort because of the side effects. And frankly, I don't feel like doing another test at all."

"What are you, giving up?"

The five of us were surprised to hear Xehanort speak up so harshly. Just moments ago, he was dying of pain. Now, his hand still clutched tightly against his chest, he looked up at us with a blank expression. But his words were harsh and his eyes had a fire burning beneath them. I hoped this was nothing more than a side effect and he would get over it, but it seemed his words were genuine. It was his face… his face was the mask.

"Oh, this can hardly be considered giving up." Even rolled his eyes, arrogantly. "We've put your life in danger. It doesn't make any sense for us to continue—"

"I'm fine." Xehanort interrupted, brusquely.

Elaeus blinked at him. "Look at yourself; your eyes look two-dimensional, you're clutching your chest in pain—"

"I said I'm _fine_, goddamnit!" Xehanort snapped at him—and then, keeled over, breathing heavily. Braig and Dilan rushed to his aid, but I refused to will my feet to move.

How did this happen? I began to rethink the experiment in my own light; attempting to rack my brain and find out what might've went wrong. Why did Xehanort end up this way? And… and dare I say it, but… did I _care_? Blasphemous!

I stuttered. "I'll… I'll get Sir Ansem—"

"No, don't." Elaeus said, sternly, turning to look at me, as Dilan and Braig lifted Xehanort onto the bed in the next room. Elaeus shook his head. "I don't know what Sir Ansem'll do if he sees his favourite apprentice in this kind of state." At this, he smirked.

So he noticed too? I smiled as well. It was the first time I felt any form of a connection with Elaeus. Oftentimes I shunned him for being not as intelligent as the rest of us, but he was truly more practical than any of us could've ever hoped to be. And for that, I must say I had a deep admiration for him.

I didn't tell Sir Ansem. Neither of us did. Xehanort recovered quite well and quite fast. I now see why Sir Ansem was so intrigued with his development, as he did have an incredibly fast recovery rate. By the end of the day, Xehanort was normal, to say the least. We ran a short scan on him and saw that nothing was disrupted internally, his mind was still in tact and his heart… his heart was decent. However, we did notice changes in his behaviour. He seemed much more bold, and outspoken… he was ominous but reserved… he was… everything he never was before. He had changed. Not entirely, not drastically, but still, we saw a change.

This made me worry. I didn't particularly care for Xehanort's outcome, but I cared about Sir Ansem's research. I did not want his research to go to waste. I wanted to consult him, explain to him our procedures, and confirm that there was nothing we excluded. I would not mention Xehanort, I would not mention the side effects… I needed to know this for my personal benefit. Once again, benefits played a vital role…

I knocked twice on the door to Sir Ansem's study. No answer. I knocked again, called his name, but still no answer. Murmuring a soft 'excuse me', I pushed open the door and saw that he wasn't there. I wandered in carelessly towards his desk. Just as expected, he had left a note folded neatly and signed with his reason for absence. I picked it up and read it quickly, pushing over an array of papers in the process. Apparently, Sir Ansem had left to visit a friend of his, a certain King Mickey. I had never heard of such a character before but I was relieved to find that Sir Ansem hadn't just disappeared out of nowhere.

I bent down to collect the papers that fell over and as I gathered them up, my eyes grazed carelessly upon the words… this was Sir Ansem's research. But I had never seen anything related to these works before. I read them carefully. Indeed, this was something he had not shown us, nor had he mentioned it to us before.

This was puzzling. "There is an imbalance of light and dark in every heart. This is natural. Distortions occur all the time and shift with the array of emotions locked away in the heart, triggered by the human mind. If you lose your emotions, you lose this imbalance. But besides that… why else shouldn't we balance the light and dark in one's heart…?" I lingered on the words I had just read. Why else shouldn't we balance… the light and dark in one's heart…?

Why?

I checked over every paper on Sir Ansem's desk.

There was no answer to this question.

I supposed it was something meant for my colleagues and I to "ponder". In relation to Ansem's research, that could mean a lot of things.

* * *

End of chapter 3:D More soon! Thanks for reading :D … I hope everything's making sense up until now :x I'm, um... not a science person...so... yep. :x 


	4. The Chilly Academic

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

---

Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 4  
The Chilly Academic

The six of us sat together in the lounge and looked over Sir Ansem's research in secret. Needless to say, I was not the only one feeling a sense of betrayal just then. We had deduced that these notes, as I had found them hidden amidst and underneath other notes, had not been written recently and they had been hidden to make sure they would never fall into our hands. Appalled by a sense of treachery and driven by ambition, we read over every note carefully until we absorbed all the information necessary to perfect our experiments.

Suddenly, I could feel that this was no longer for Sir Ansem's research, but for… for our mental state. We needed to finish this work.

Even was the first to speak. "The imbalance is natural. There is imbalance in all our hearts…" he let his eyes wander to Xehanort. "I suppose that means… that means the experiments are… were successful." He stuttered. "Not in the conventional sense—" he said this towards me, as he knew I would've said something to him otherwise. "—but… that we discovered something phenomenal… they were a grand success."

"So what now?" Elaeus spoke up, softly.

"We answer Sir Ansem's question." Braig said, nonchalantly, waving a careless hand around. "Why shouldn't we balance the light and dark in one's heart? It's a distortion, don't you think we'd oughta fix it?"

"But it's normal." Dilan shrugged. "If it's at a state of normalcy, we should study it—not try to fix it."

"You call that interesting?" Braig scoffed, crossing his arms. "Well holy shit, Dilan, it's no wonder—I'll tell you something: when you go down to those fundamentalist religious conventions in the North, and they find out that one of their own is, uh, is a homosexual, you know what they do to them? They, uh, they 'fix' them."

I was in shock.

… what was this man talking about?

Dilan had a raised eyebrow, a confused expression and every ounce of sarcasm dripping off his tongue when he spoke. "Have _you_ been to those fundamentalist religious conventions in the North, Braig?"

Braig shuddered. "I'd'a done thought you would've…"

There was momentary silence before Even began to grumble. He took off his spectacles and massaged his temples tiredly. "Back on topic, please." He sighed. "Have we decided? We're either to use this information to further our research, or we're to slip it back in Sir Ansem's study, never to look at it again."

"I'd think we could do both." I shrugged. "This is an astonishing breakthrough. We need to use Sir Ansem's findings to further our progression… but we can't let him know we've seen it. We'll copy it, but then we have to give it back."

Braig laughed. "Clever little sneak! I know why he decided to keep you!"

Excuse me?

Dilan rolled his eyes. "Can you just stop talking, Braig? You're making less sense than usual today—"

"Oh—"

"Could you two stop bartering at each other's throats for just one moment?" Even snapped at them. He whisked his spectacles back atop his nose and shoved the papers into Elaeus' hands. "Copy every single paper, both sides, and then return the pile to Sir Ansem's study. We have to use what we know in order to—"

"I'd say there's no reason to copy it."

The five of us turned slowly to Xehanort. He hadn't spoken a word since we'd gotten there, so I was unsure as to what his viewpoint on the situation was. He had given a slight chuckle when we all gave him such puzzled looks and only waved away our confusion as if it was nothing. He smiled, "Things become complicated when there's two of them… when the original finds out the copy was created, all hell can break loose."

I did not understand his words just then, but I assume he was envisioning a larger picture.

He continued. "We have all our information here." He pointed to his head. "There is no need to copy Sir Ansem's work. Ienzo—" he turned to me. "—return the work as you found it. The rest of us will brainstorm theories and attempt to find out how… just how to balance light and dark. Surely there must be a simple equation to this mathematics problem." He smirked. "And nothing that our dearest Even can't come up with if he tried."

Even looked at him, taken aback. I suppose he had not expected to be included in Xehanort's homily, and so humbly as well. He recollected his research and rushed over to the corner desk to begin his work.

"Those that are left," Xehanort continued. "Follow me." He turned and headed into the experiment room. Elaeus handed me the papers, and followed miserably. It didn't sit well with him, or the other two for that matter, that they had to take orders from 'the newcomer', even though it had been two years and he was no longer new.

It was Xehanort's decision to run another experiment on him. Neither of us really saw a use of it, as we had already deduced all the information we could from him. My guess for his zealous behaviour was that he realized he could be close to unlocking his memories. Well… to each his own, I suppose. I had no idea if this would even help to regain his memories because we had finished testing his brainwaves…

After this experiment, we uncovered yet another piece of information.

"This is like the friggin' lottery…" Braig said, breathily, as he looked over two large prints in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder into the experiment room where Xehanort, like last time, was still knocked out on the bed. We gathered around the one-eyed man as he pointed out information in both scans. Each had random calculations, information, and a scan of the makeup of Xehanort's heart. Not the genetic makeup, as most scientists would have. But our brilliant Even had managed to write up a program that could track light and dark like hot and cold on a temperature chart. He truly was a genius. "You're a genius, man," Braig told Even briefly.

Even wrinkled his nose and pushed his glasses up his nose. He pointed to the page.

Braig shrugged and read aloud what he could decipher. "Well here," he pointed to the first print. "This is the first experiment. Xehanort's heart looks, uh… normal, I suppose, since the imbalance is normal. But look here," he pointed to the second print. "Something's changed… " he pointed to the first print, and pointed out the dark and light space as the light and dark in his heart. Then, he pointed to the second print, and pointed to the light, the dark—and one more aspect. "What's this?" he asked, tapping on a miniscule entity forming near the corners of the heart form.

Even hung over Braig's shoulder, his dirty blond hair falling about Braig, ungreatfully. "That's… interesting." He scooped up the scan and examined it closely. The four of us gathered around him like a school of fish. "That… could be another side effect."

"But what is it?" Elaeus asked, thoughtfully. "A—a tumour or something?"

"I don't think so." Dilan shook his head. "Should we… do another scan while he's asleep? My hypothesis is that it's something forming via his heart valves… but I'm uncertain if it will effect his development in any way."

"It looks like a tumour…" Elaeus muttered, eerily. "We should do another scan."

"We should operate or somethin'." Braig shrugged, crossing his arms.

"We're not surgeons, Braig." Even reminded him, wistfully. He sighed, "This distortion could be one of three things: a smudge on the scans, a tumour, or a growing disease caused by the experiments."

We had to test and see if this new entity posed a threat to Xehanort's well-being. After a scan, we deduced it was not a smudge on the scans. We informed Xehanort of this distortion the moment he woke up. He did not seem to be disheartened or shocked in any way. Instead, with a blank expression and a monotonous tone, he told us, "My chest burns." And with that, he keeled over, unconscious.

We were terrified.

Panicked and distressed, we brought him to the lounge and lay him on the sofa, while monitoring his heartbeat. There was nothing wrong at all. His heartbeats were normal, his breathing was normal and soon, he had awoken feeling normal. It was definitely strange and something we needed to study. He told us that he was okay now, his chest no longer hurt, but it still retained the same numb feeling. He smiled and said that was nothing we should worry about. We worried anyway. …well, we collectively worried, but I did not.

We showed Xehanort the scans, and he studied them carefully. "What's this…?" he stuttered, slowly. Before any of us could interject, he had grabbed the first scan and held it close to the second, looking at them both frantically.

Dilan spoke up. "It appears an entity has begun to form within your heart via the heart valves. But we are uncertain if it is harmful or—"

"No, no, not that." He didn't seem to be phased by the fact that there was a greying spot growing within his heart. On the contrary, he pointed to the dark and light spaces in both scans. "See here? It seems there is less of the light than before, and more of the dark than in the previous scan."

Even peered over Xehanort's shoulder into the scan. "Why didn't I notice that?" he mumbled, bitterly. I suppose I was the only one who heard his bitter tone, as no one else but me looked his way.

"The imbalance is balancing?" Elaeus asked, curiously. "It's possible?"

"Of course it is!" Xehanort told him, ecstatically. He set down the scans, beaming and radiating such an extreme energy that we were sure he would explode if given the chance. "Don't you see? The answer to Sir Ansem's question is this: we should balance the light and dark within a person's heart! Why shouldn't we? These side effects—" at this, he punched his chest with such a force that even Braig cringed. But Xehanort didn't seem phased. "—these side effects mean nothing when it comes to this discovery! We have been able to fix the supposedly unfixable!"

"So what does this mean overall?" Even asked, crossing his arms. "We have been able to balance the imbalance of light and dark within every heart. But look what it does to people?" at this, he wandered around to the other side of the desk. We watched him in silence as he looked around curiously. He picked up a paperweight, jumbled it around in his hands for a while and looked up at Xehanort. He pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Shove." He said simply to Braig and Elaeus, who were closest to Xehanort. Within an instant, he bolted the paperweight towards Xehanort. It collided with his chest marvellously fast and at such a force that, once again, Braig cringed. Xehanort was knocked back a few steps, but he did not complain nor did he grab his chest in pain. Instead… he laughed.

"Crazy motherfucker…" Braig gawked in awe and confusion.

Even crossed his arms. "It creates lifeless _drones_ is what it does. Xehanort hasn't been himself lately, there's an entity forming in the midst of his heart—"

"Lifeless drones, yes, but capable ones also!" Xehanort was still laughing. He grinned, "Look! That paperweight is made of wood and could've very well knocked the wind out of me—but it didn't! Why? Because I _can't feel it._" He said, eerily. "Think of it clearly, Even. I'm alive, my heart rate is normal, my mind is normal—but—but the side-effects! The side-effects have made me something… something, dare I say it, something _superhuman_."

"I wouldn't call this shit superhuman powers." Even told him, harshly. "You're just numb, not special. And if you were a true academic or a man of science as you so often claim to be, then you'd know that side effects _do not_ make the experiment."

The room was silent. Xehanort's manic expression faded quickly to be replaced with a less cynical, more vacant countenance. His fists clenched, he glared angrily at Even. His eyes were a swirl of emotions, hatred amongst them. Even refused to drop his menacing gaze on Xehanort, and Xehanort in the same way.

Xehanort gave a disgruntled scoff and left the room in a rage. Even cleared his throat and ignored our prying eyes. He turned back to his research and left us alone to ponder the reasons for his actions.

I felt at that time… Even felt the most betrayal… the most.

We left Even alone for the time being. There was no way we were able to decipher what he was thinking or what made him say that to Xehanort. In a sense, I felt Even was right and Xehanort was letting the side-effects get to his head. But in the same way I could not help but think that Xehanort perhaps had hit something interesting. … superhuman powers? I must admit the thought itself was somewhat absurd. However, there were no other words to describe Xehanort's sudden physical change. He was only partly right; perhaps this new entity growing in his heart was not as evil as we thought, but in fact was the reason for his new qualities. Then in that case… in that case shouldn't we all… have qualities as his? We are all equal as Ansem's apprentices, or we should be, and it would be wrong to let Xehanort steal the glory of our research away. As the week progressed and we grew distant from each other, I could tell that it was not only me that felt that way.

Sir Ansem returned shortly after and greeted us all with wide smiles. He had gathered us together in his study on the night of his return. This… I remember this night clearly as the night of confusion.

"So…" he began uneasily. He was twiddling his thumbs in an uneven manner, and he gave us all smiles filled with reassurance. He gave a short laugh. "I have returned and I apologize for leaving on such short notice, but I trust you've all been well in your… research." He sighed. "I hope to see written proof of your exercises soon."

At this moment, for some reason or another, neither of us spoke. I hadn't understood the exact reason why, but perhaps it was a mutual agreement… perhaps our pride was too great and our sinister hatred of betrayal had taken over. This was not something we discussed, however we did not tell Sir Ansem a word about the experiments. Though at the same time, we did not know what to tell him of our 'written work'.

"In due time, sir." It was Even. He was smiling.

Sir Ansem was relieved at this. "I am glad." He told him. "Ah, but… I know the six of you have been growing in your scientific approaches. I would… well, I would like to talk to you about another project."

"Another project?" Elaeus interjected before I could. I could read and understand the confusion within his eyes. What did Sir Ansem mean by this?

"Now, don't get too excited." He misread Elaeus' words; the first bout of confusion. He smiled. "I was talking with my good friend King Mickey about—well, about… light energy—"

"Light energy?" Braig spoke up, puzzled. "But sir, if I'd'a remembered properly, I'd'a thought you didn't approve of my research on light energy. You were always telling me that if I studied hearts—"

"Well, there will be no further… heart study…" he heaved a heavy sigh and massaged his temples slowly. The six of us couldn't believe what we were hearing. No further heart study? But... but this was his passion! It was his life! How could he... just... abandon it so easily?

"But sir—" Even interrupted, angrily. "—this is your passion! If not for us, you should at least let us complete it for you—"

"It's no longer necessary." Ansem told him, sternly. "You will collectively begin your projects on light energy and Braig will be your forward. He has an extensive…"

I couldn't listen. I was being shrouded in uncertainty. But… but we were so close… there was… there was just no sense in stopping halfway! We were so close to finishing! Damn it—what's gotten into him? This isn't what I left home for! This isn't what I fucking left home for—failure after consecutive failure! No… if not for him, I have to finish this work. I have to— "Sir!" I called out to him, interrupting his speech. He looked at me, allowing me to proceed. "I—if you wouldn't mind, I think we'd appreciate a laboratory."

He raised a confused eyebrow at me, as I'm sure the others did as well. I admit I did sound somewhat rushed and highly uncertain as I said it, but I meant it in the most productive way possible. My emotions took over just then, otherwise I hardly ever speak in outbursts. I wanted to solve the mystery of the imbalance of light and dark, but I would not mention it. I did not want to anger Sir Ansem.

"Um—" I continued, uneasily, trying to think up my best lie. "To continue the research, I propose we have a laboratory built in the basement. That way—with your permission I suppose—we would be able to finish the experiments… it would be a wonderful opportunity to expand our horizons… a-as researchers, as scientists and as your apprentices. If you allow us a laboratory, we may… finish your work in excellence. "

"That's a wonderful idea, my dear Ienzo." Ansem smiled fondly at me. He misread my words; the second bout of confusion. I felt guilty because I knew the second he agreed to the lab being built, he had no idea what I really intended by it… I felt guilty but enthralled. I was enthralled that he was so thrilled by my idea. I felt once more that I was finally connecting with Ansem… but it was treacherous, was it not? After he had ignored us and betrayed us so…

"I agree." Xehanort spoke up with a coy smile on his face. We all looked towards him in turn. "Ienzo, it is a marvellous idea." He smirked. I was confused as to why he'd even agree with me, but I brushed it aside and assumed he wanted the same outcome as I did; a finished project. Nevertheless, he continued, "I think it will be a wonderful stepping stone to furthering your research, sir."

Ansem nodded, fervently. "I see your point, Ienzo, Xehanort."

"Xehanort…" Xehanort was the one to chuckle this time. He smiled warmly at Ansem and shook his head slightly. "Thank you… thank you a lot." He turned around and headed outside of the study.

Little did I know at that time, but Xehanort possessed an alter-ego so profound that it was all he truly answered to. I was afraid in what these experiments were doing to him but at the same time… I was… jealous.

It was what I wanted too.

Our laboratory began its construction as early as the next week.

It was the purest emblem of our fall from grace, and yet it was the last hope we had left.

* * *

I… can't remember why I called this 'The Chilly Academic' o.o;; It made sense at the beginning of the chapter. :x It was supposed to be Even-centric, buuuut it kinda turned out that way and yet it didn't… whatever :D Things get interesting next chapter. I promise. XD Please review:D 


	5. Begin and End in Darkness

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 5  
Begin and End in Darkness

Our makeshift laboratory was finished within a month.

This, of all my memories, is the brightest I had from when I was. So I beg of you, please listen carefully.

… the lab was nothing special. It permitted our experiments in secret, away from Sir Ansem's prying eyes, and for that we were grateful. We continued where we left off, examining Xehanort's scans and trying to analyze what the entity forming in his heart was. We all came up with our respective theories, but none of them seemed to be making any proper sense in relation to the situation. Could our experiments have such a side effect? Was our research really as dangerous?

Elaeus and I were beginning to think alike, which frightened me because I'd never seen him and I in the same league before. But nevertheless, we agreed that if we were to truly understand this entity, and Xehanort's feelings—as we should be sensitive towards everyone—then we had to feel as he feels. We agreed that we had to undergo these experiments as well. Even, as usual, disagreed. He was becoming more sumptuous in disagreeing with ideas that weren't his own. I felt that three years now on this same experiment and on our old theories was driving us all a little mad, but it was driving Even to the point of insanity.

"If we do undergo these experiments ourselves, what can we prove? We'll have the same fucking results! It won't make a difference! I see no reason in doing it!" he argued with us.

Elaeus had 'had enough of his prima donna bullshit', as he so often called it. He ripped his cigarette from his mouth and fumed at the blond academic. "What the fuck do you know? You think you're so fucking smart, huh? Didn't they teach you anything about a fair test in fucking grade school, Even? At least three different times, at least three different specimens to find at least three unbiased results?" he crossed his arms. "Listen, we're all fucking tired of the lack of results here, but if we continue to experiment on Xehanort, that only proves that we don't know shit! We can't fucking base our research on one fucking result from one guy! That's bullshit! I don't know where you're learning whatever the fuck you're learning, but it's definitely not what Sir Ansem taught us—"

"Sir Ansem, who left us when we needed him and abandoned us when we needed answers? _That_ Sir Ansem?" Even snapped, testily. "You can fucking bitch at me all you want, Mr. Elaeus Spears—but I owe allegiance to no one anymore! I don't trust people who abandon me!" His words were strict, but I could sense a deep fortitude in them. Sir Ansem did leave us, but I still felt a bond towards him… I was probably one of the few that still did feel anything towards him, even though it was no longer as strong as before. You could say… I was using him and this feeling to complete the research.

The silence in the room showed a general agreement. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, or lack thereof. I held up a hand, "If I may intrude," I cleared my throat. "Even, I understand your frustration. Elaeus, I understand your viewpoint as well. And to the rest of you, the synonymous silence is enough." At this, Braig laughed, a smile came to Dilan's lips—but Xehanort stayed neutral. I continued. "But Even, I really do agree with Elaeus, but for different reasons. Not only do we need to get different results to compare with, we also need to finish this work. In actuality, I could fucking care less if it was for Sir Ansem or for his dog or that man at the item store. But it needs to be completed. If you refuse to go along with the experimentation, then I won't try to change your mind. But I do believe that if we are to progress at all, we need to at least understand this process. Isn't that what the experiments should be about? We can't just look at side effects and call them results. You said yourself that the side effects don't make the experiments. We should test your theory."

"What the hell?" Braig laughed again, his arms crossed. He smirked, "That's gotta be the longest speech I'd done heard come out of Neves' mouth."

I couldn't help but smile. Perhaps if I did speak out more, this whole experiment would've gone my way from the beginning.

Even sighed in an aggravated manner and ruffled his perfect blond hair. He slid his spectacles from his nose and looked at me. When I expected a response, he only shrugged. I was confused. He didn't look distraught or angry, or even defeated or saddened. He only shrugged at me.

Elaeus took another puff on his cigarette. "So? We're gonna carry on with the experiments on everyone, right?"

"I agree," Xehanort put in. His voice was flat and dull, but it still retained a sense of curiosity. "How can we study what only I understand? Though I could, I'd rather not carry on the rest of these experiments on my own. It would be better if we all worked on it… equally."

"I agree." Dilan spoke up. "We should all be tested on. That way we can deduce faster results—"

"Faster results, but will they be better?" Even turned on him, edgily.

Dilan smirked. "Since when did we get good results to begin with?"

And so our experiments began.

Xehanort was to oversee the general procedures, as he was the only one we weren't to be testing on. Before the first experiment, which was to be on Braig, Xehanort changed minor procedures. Even was disgruntled, but held his tongue. He didn't see a need to change anything about his procedures, but Xehanort told him they would increase the energy input to speed up the process. "In order to get to my stage," he explained. "We'd have to experiment twice, and then some. And as I suspected, we don't have that much time. We've already spent years trying to accomplish this, so we can't spare any more time. If we increase energy input, we can have it so we're all at the same stage in a shorter time period."

"Question." Dilan rose his hand. "Have you looked at all the possibilities of doing this? Will it cause any harm to Braig or anyone else? Would this be—"

"Do I look like an amateur, Dilan?" Xehanort asked, testily. The words… the words 'yes, motherfucker' were on Dilan's tongue, I could sense it! But—being Dilan, he said nothing.

My turn.

"—Well you look more amateurish than Ienzo, and he's the youngest here." It was Even's remark. He was being a real ass today, and I loved it. I was honestly loving every moment of this. I had never felt so alive in my life. The last trait of immaturity I had in me was my pride in watching someone's downfall… but as I looked at Xehanort's smug grin and his menacing eyes, I could tell it was the last trait of immaturity that we both had.

I laughed, and at the same time, Xehanort laughed. I stopped laughing at once. Was he truly mad? He let out a high cackle and crossed his arms, "Maybe so, Even, maybe so. But I haven't the time to argue with temperamental whiny children—" at this, Even's jaw dropped, aghast. "—we need to finish this now. Now Braig, if you please."

Braig was the first. If he was nervous, he didn't show it. We were all to stand by him and document anything we might see until the process was complete. I had to admit, I was slightly nervous when it was to be my turn. After Braig's experiment, he was asleep for quite a long time. Sir Ansem even called for him, and we had to lie and say that he'd gone out. He was comatose for at least six hours following the experiment. Even was in an uproar, enraged at Xehanort's unmethodical decisions. The rest of us stayed out of their debate and stood by Braig, hoping he might wake up soon and that Sir Ansem wouldn't discover what we'd been doing down here. I could only shudder to think of what he might do or say if he found out we'd still be undergoing these dangerous experiments.

Braig awoke close to the eighth hour, and from the moment he took his first conscious breath, I could tell that he was not himself. His eyes—excuse me, his _eye_ had lost its sharpness. He would look at us no longer with that keen sense for knowledge he once had, but a dull one, not as well refined… quite like Xehanort. He too complained of chest pains, and asked to be left alone in the room, breathing heavily. We were terribly afraid. I could sense that the fear I possessed was definitely shared by at least Dilan and Elaeus. I could feel more defeat from Even… and nothing from Xehanort.

"Tell us how you feel." Xehanort stated, whipping out a fresh sheet from his book. He looked up at Braig. "Do you feel cold? Warm? Pain?"

"I feel…" Braig spoke up, quietly. He held his chest still with the same audacity, the veins protruding from his tanned arms. He took a deep breath and coughed, gripping his chest in what I took to be pain. He bit down on his lower lip and shook his head frantically. "Nothing. I feel nothing… fuck it—the experiment didn't work, Xehanort!" he snapped at him, ferociously.

"What? All this for nothing?" Elaeus retorted, turning towards Xehanort, menacingly.

"It did." Xehanort told him, sternly. "Hold your tongue whilst you understand nothing." He looked over his shoulder and called to Dilan by the computer. "Print the scans. And bring mine as well." He shoved his pen behind his ear, and briskly walked over to the table where Even was looking through experimental procedures.

When Dilan brought over the scans, we had found something remarkable. They were… similar to Xehanort's. Like Xehanort's heart scans, the light and dark in Braig's heart was also balancing—but still, the same entity was forming. This, we deduced, was probably the cause of the side effects. But considering that the side effects weren't as dangerous as they seemed, we chose to ignore this entity and continue with the rest of the experiments, and the processes to balance the light and dark in a person's heart.

Ignore this entity, we did. Although… if you ask me now… I'd tell you that it was the most dim-witted decision of my academic career.

Braig's complaints did not stop us. He possessed the same side effects as Xehanort; the numbness, the dull feeling… but still, we all followed suit. Dilan next, then Even, then Elaeus… and then finally it was my turn to go under the contraption. I was terrified. Braig could sense my terror, and smiled at me before I was to be experimented on. I remember this well because Braig no longer smiled, no longer laughed at anything… he only agreed or disagreed in a carefree manner. It was as if the old Braig I had remembered from when I first appeared here was beginning to slowly fade away… slowly disappear into… nothing.

The feeling was intense.

As soon as I was sedated and I blacked out, I felt as if I was constantly falling. Every now and then, I would feel a jolt run through my body, but I was constantly falling. The wind between my fingers, the weight plunging down on me… it was all real. It all felt real. I couldn't believe that such a feeling could be simulated. It was incredible. Falling, falling and falling… I felt as if I would never hit ground. And then—another jolt ran through my back, my neck, my fingers—and I had stopped falling. Now I was being pushed. I was being pushed from all corners—walls… walls were closing in on me. I could feel them crushing my bones. It was the most aggravating pain I'd ever felt—it hurt, and yet it didn't—and I was screaming and yet I couldn't—I could no longer hear myself scream… I could no longer feel my bones breaking… I was still. The world was still.

And then I woke up.

The moment I woke up, like the others, I could sense that I was different. I am sure I looked distraught or confused, but inside myself… I could sense something had changed. I slowly brought a timid hand to my chest and noticed something… I noticed that I could no longer feel the softness of my fingertips upon my chest. I noticed that my heartbeat, though still there, was becoming distant… it was confusing, but I… I was enticed by it.

When the scans had come through, we examined them as usual. Now the same entity was growing in all six of us, and the imbalance was slowly balancing… we knew we were on to something.

We were foolish.

The experiments continued. Every week, the six of us would go under the dreaded contraption once more and every week, the imbalance was closer and closer to becoming balanced. Yet… as it grew ever nearer, the entity grew ever larger. Three weeks down the road and the once small dot of grey was now massive… how had we not noticed it before?

"But look." Even pointed to it again. He was no longer temperamental. He was no longer argumentative and zealous. Now, he wasn't much of anything. Neither of us were. I could tell that we had all changed, but at that time, I was unsure if it was for the better or for the worse. Even let out a disgruntled sigh, "It isn't a problem if it doesn't effect us. I'd love to find out what this _thing_ is… but as it's growing this much, even if it was dangerous, can we really stop it?"

"He's right." Elaeus droned, sucking on his cigarette in an odd manner. "From the scans between last week's experiments and the before scans prior to this week's experiments, we can tell that this entity is now growing on its own… and we can't stop it. Scary, innit? It's growing… and we _can't stop it._"

"Well to hell with it!" Braig sneered at us. "Does anyone feel different? Huh? Whoever does should speak now or shut the fuck up forever!"

I could sense that we all were dying to tell Braig off… but we couldn't. Braig was dying to tell himself off. The uncertainty in his voice said that much at the very least. He cleared his throat, "We're so close… so close, guys. I know with just one more experiment… _one more_… we'd'a done balanced the imbalance… and we can document it…" a brief smile. "… it'll be _our…_ research."

Just that thought alone made us feel…

… it made us feel.

We scheduled one last experiment for each of us, starting two nights from then. We would all be on the same day, and we agreed that we'd show Sir Ansem the night after. We fantasized that he would be happy with us and he would crown us his beloved apprentices, and that there would be a banquet for us the following day—and that the whole of Radiant Garden would hear about our successes.

I think… we asked for too much.

Sir Ansem had called us to his study. Only five of us went; Xehanort had seen Sir Ansem earlier that day and refused to meet with him again. He warned us that Sir Ansem was not happy and that he was in fact quite angry with us.

"But how?" Elaeus countered. "We didn't tell him anything—he doesn't know anything about the experiments!"

My first and only guess what that he found out in some way…

"I cannot believe my trusted apprentices would do something like this!" Sir Ansem was fuming. The five of us stood there, head up, chest out, eyes at the wall whilst he yelled his heart out at us. He was red in the face and in his palms for beating away at his desk. The anger he was feeling… I could sense it, but I could not understand it. He was enraged with us. "After I told you not to, you deliberately went behind my back to carry on with something like this! The heart is a dangerous specimen! Would I let but mere apprentices carry on such foul work? Never!"

_Mere_ apprentices? I was not in shock, but I was not satisfied with keeping quiet. But at this moment I could sense that it was not my time to speak. Yet I was—enraged to say the least. How could he say that about us? Was I an idiot? Was I a fucking dumbass? Is he implying that I'm not capable enough of carrying out research on my own? Bullshit! I was not but a mere apprentice; I was an intellectual! Not just any _mere apprentice_ could carry on such extensive work! Fuck him for making me feel like an inferior!

When he said those words… when he told us that no more experiments were to be carried out… we knew, collectively, we couldn't agree to this request. We would leave, and finish the last experiments tonight. We were so close… we were—

"We were so close, sir!"

I glanced to my left, as I'd seen Dilan do, and Braig and Elaeus to their right… our eyes were locked on Even. Ansem was staring at him, his bottom lip trembling a threatening pose, but his brow furrowed with curiosity and anger. It was uncanny how we were all thinking the exact same thing… I could sense it. The same words I wanted to say were in my mind, Elaeus' mind, Dilan's mind, Braig's mind… and apparently, Even's mouth.

"We were so fucking close!" Even screamed at him, his hair falling out of its perfect place. His eyes seethed with hate, but for some reason or another, I sensed that it was not… genuine. "Sir! We'd figured out how to balance the imbalance of light and dark in one's heart! Don't you see? You're an idiot if you refuse us to continue—"

"_I'm_ the idiot?" Ansem retorted, hotly. His chest was moving up and down in a frantic manner, and his breathing was short. He growled at him, "Listen to yourselves, look at yourselves! One more experiment and it's to the grave with you all! You're not yourselves! Don't you see? I refused the experiments because I've learned—"

"I don't care, sir!" Even snapped at him. "You're trying to limit us, and it's not fair, especially since we've gotten so far—"

"Listen to me!" Ansem's voice was dark and low, his tone was shaky, and his countenance: fierce. "In ruining nature's balance, you ruin nature's work itself. You—will—_die._"

I too, like Even, had had enough with listening to Sir Ansem. He could threaten my life, but my work was my own and I wouldn't let him touch it. It was as if everything we'd wanted to say collectively was spewing out through Even like wildfire. I was grateful. I couldn't have said it and still kept my dignity. But Even… Even was truly another type of being.

"Believe me when I say this is for your own good." Ansem tried to tell us as calmly as he could. "Would I have done this if I'd not loved you all so dearly? You're like my sons—"

"But we're but _mere apprentices_, sir." I muttered, bitterly. He had heard me. I saw the betrayal in his eyes, but I didn't care. I saw how he looked upon me once more as a son… but it was too late. I didn't need a father. "Surely," I continued. "Surely for your sons, you'd offer something much better."

I could sense his hurt, but I didn't care. I had ceased caring about what this man thought. Like my father, he too had betrayed and hurt me… and that was unacceptable.

"… no more experiments." Ansem said coldly, as he turned towards his desk. "I'm shutting down the lab… and that's final."

His words stung deeply with us all. Even stormed out of the study in a rage, and the remainder of us followed suit. We wouldn't be allowed to let ourselves be limited in such a manner… it was inconceivable. Why turn back when you're so close to the finish line, after all? And especially… and especially when the stage was set so nicely for us? We had to finish this.

That night, something unspeakable happened.

I was awoken from my slumber at a most terrifying shake. My eyes snapped open out of fear for what had shaken me, and I frantically looked about my room. It seemed as if my eyes were not moving fast enough, because I often caught a glance of something bright and yellow at the corner of my eye, but I could never really see it. The light… my light was fading.

I was beginning to fall back asleep, as I thought. But it was a slow and excruciating process—this time I knew it was real. I felt as if I was falling, being pushed, being broken, being hurt—it was horrible pain. The last thing I saw before I blacked out were two beady yellow eyes in the darkness of my room. I wanted to sit up and call to this unknown creature… could it be… a h-heartless? I had only read of them from Ansem's books, but I had never really known how they looked like. In any case, I didn't see much of a need to study them because they had nothing to do with our research. My eyes slowly closed, and this creature had disappeared—

A voice in my head screamed at me with a voice that could mirror a siren. It told me, "SAY GOODBYE."

I blacked out. When my eyes could open again, I was falling. And this time, it was not a simulation. I was really falling. I could feel the pressure on my limbs, I could move my arms—this pain was real. I was panicking like a mad man, trying to stabilize myself, trying to peer into this darkness that I was falling in to. What was to become of me? Was I to die? Why… how the hell did this happen?

I wouldn't die. I wouldn't be left to die! Not this way…

… I began to cry. I was sobbing, I was choking, I was bawling my eyes out… but for some reason, there were no tears. I felt as if I could stop crying at any moment. My crying did not seem real. I was afraid, yet confused. How was it now that my emotions were fake and this time, my actions were real? What was… what was going on?

My eyes closed. It was a movement of force, and it felt as though someone had clasped their hands across my eyes. When I could use my own strength to lift them, I could see that I was surrounded in darkness and I was on solid ground. It was odd because I didn't remember crashing to the ground. I couldn't even remember when I'd stopped falling. All I remember was opening my eyes and being surrounded in the darkest abyss, unknown to man.

The ground I was sitting on was as dark as the atmosphere around me. I got to my feet in a shaky manner, my bottom lip trembling. I was afraid. I was covered in darkness, and I was afraid. But—fucking hell—this didn't seem real either! I was afraid, I know I was—and yet, I wasn't… what… what the hell is going on? Why do I feel so… so weird?

This place was bizarre. I was surrounded completely in darkness. There was no light…

I clutched onto my chest. I banged at my chest frantically. I still could feel… nothing. Except… it was an internal feeling this time. The numbness had subsidized, and I was left with a numb heart… not a numb body. At that time, I had not known of this, but I'll mention it now. Those experiments… that entity had turned us into something else. We were foolish in continuing. The entity had already ruined us far beyond our control. In fact, this entity in which we ignored was not an entity. On the contrary, it was not much of anything. It was nothing. It was nothingness growing inside the human heart; a black hole, if you will. As we tried harder to balance the imbalance of light and dark in a person's heart, this nothingness devoured our hearts slowly, but surely. It destroyed it piece by piece. It could no longer be stopped, and the emptiness continued to spread. So this was the reason the imbalance of light and dark should not be balanced… the reason I could not feel… the reason I could feel nothing… was because I was nothing. Nothingness had devoured my heart whole, and I was… but a soul… but even then, is that an appropriate term for a nonexistent wanderer like I?

My recollections… trapped forever in the mind of a boy that could never be. And so he never was. The life I was meant to lead is not a life at all, and therefore doesn't exist. What could be worse…?

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I'm like speed-writing this because, finally, after this chapter things get interesting :D Anyway. Please review :D I really would like to know what people think of this so far. So yes. Review. :D Thanks so much for reading! New chapter soon.


	6. In a Flurry of Dancing Flames

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 6  
In a Flurry of Dancing Flames

I began to walk.

There was nothing more I could do then. I had no reason to stay there, yet no reason to venture elsewhere. But I began to walk… and as I did… I thought of Braig. Braig… Dilan… Elaeus, Even… Xehanort, as well. I thought of what might've become of them. Surely we'd all share this same disastrous fate? I felt like a lost and lonely little child, but at the same time, I didn't. I know it's weird to keep repeating it this way, but you must understand… I no longer felt. But… but I loved to fantasize about how it would feel like. As I walked, I began to cry, and then cry at the fact I couldn't cry… and I would lament. Would I be doomed to be this way forever? Is there no way I can get my heart back? Will I ever see my fellow scientists again?

I began to run. I had nothing to lose. Would I trip and fall on my face, rip my heart open and bleed to death? No… no I wouldn't. Therefore, I couldn't care less what became of me just then.

I heard something in the distance and my footsteps slowed to an uncomfortable stop. I was afraid. Not only was I shrouded in darkness so thick that I could not even see my hands in front of me, but I could hear footsteps… Others? Were there others?

"Is… is anyone there?" I whispered, timidly into the darkness.

The footsteps stopped. I was terrified but my stoic countenance wouldn't show it. Out of the darkness, I could feel the footsteps come towards me once more. It seemed as though they were coming at me from all sides. I whipped around to my back—darkness. To my front—darkness. Everywhere—darkness, yet at the same time—footsteps. I stood still… and waited. It was uncomfortable because anyone could step out at me… anyone or _anything_. I hadn't soon forgotten the heartless that I saw just before I ended up in this place.

A weird sensation came over me just then. As the footsteps began to echo in my ears… I felt as if I could sense… someone. This someone had a faint aura, but it was as faint as mine… suddenly, I could sense many faint auras. There were many other people, many other _things_, in this darkness with me. I could sense them, their personalities, the pace in which they walked—everything. It was a marvellous 'feeling', but at the same time, somewhat absurd. Where did I get this 'power' from and why did I have it?

The footsteps stopped, but this time, they did not start again. A figure slipped out of the darkness towards me… he was tall. I could tell just by looking at him, even though he was quite a way away. His height was accompanied by bold, spiky fiery red hair that screamed _pure evil_. He was wearing a dark overcoat and had his hands stuffed lazily in his pockets. His eyes were a gallant teal that burned holes through my being, or what was left of it. I took a cautious step back as he approached me. As I stood face to face with him, I realized he wasn't as tall as I had perceived, nor was he half as intimidating. Hell—I'd felt worse when I first met Braig. But then again, now that I couldn't feel, was this fear being subsidized as well? Needless to say, my lack of a heart was saving me from serious humiliation in the form of pant-wetting.

I had expected him to speak first, but he only stood before me, giving me the most inquisitive look I'd ever gotten from another man. I looked away a brief moment and cleared my throat nervously. "I… uh… " I didn't know what to say. He raised a confused eyebrow at me, and I'd only hoped I'd have said something then because the look he gave me was most perplexing. It was as if he was intrigued by my voice or confused by my appearance, but either way, it was most uncomfortable.

"Who are you?" he asked me. His head was tilted to the side, and his teal eyes tried their hardest to search my face.

I opened my mouth to tell him—I was Ienzo Neves, of the Neves family of Radiant Garden, former child to Erik and Maria Neves, former apprentice to Sir Ansem the Wise of Radiant Garden … but I quickly became dispirited towards that approach. Was I really a Neves? Was I really Ienzo? I didn't feel myself… and I wasn't… I wasn't myself; I wasn't anything anymore. No… Ienzo Neves had died tonight. And all I bear is his soul.

"Never mind," he shrugged, probably noticing my lack of responsiveness. He looked around into the darkness and over my head. "Were there any others?"

I didn't know exactly what he meant by this, but I assumed he meant others like me. This man seemed to know something about where I was, or what I was—I could sense it. I so desperately wanted to ask him… but I didn't know how to phrase it. I didn't know what to ask first.

I heard him laugh; a sardonic, arrogant laugh. "Never _mind_." He told me, quite stately. His slight smile faded instantly and he brushed past me rudely, back into the darkness.

I panicked. I grabbed out towards him and managed to reach his arm. He stumbled back towards me, possessing the most disturbed expression anyone had ever given me. He tried to shake my hand off, but I refused to let go. He was the first person I met out here, and I wasn't about to let him wander off and leave me on my own. I had no idea where the hell I could be after all. This didn't look a fucking thing like Radiant Garden! Yet he sneered at me. "Let go—"

"T-there are five." I stuttered, nervously. He stopped trying to rid himself of my arm and looked towards me as I held up a shaky hand. "Five… plus me; that's six. T-there's Xehanort, he's kinda tall, silver hair, pretty pale… and Braig—" I paused. It could be possible that as I renounced my name, the others might've done the same thing too. In that case, I had no idea how I would begin to find them. I shook my head briefly. "Never mind… but the other five… I have no idea if they're here, or… w-where are… we?" I was going off on a tangent, but I didn't care. I hope he wouldn't mind—

"Five, you say?" he asked, curiously. I nodded a great deal, my eyes filled with hope. "Hmm," he mumbled. "I'll tell you if I see anyone." And at this, he successfully ripped his arm from my grasp and faded back into the darkness.

"But wait!" I called to him. I could sense his footsteps some ways in front of me, but I could no longer see him. I followed. My steps were brisk but quiet. I'd hoped that he wouldn't turn back and question my motives for following him, but I really wanted answers. No one could understand how painful it was then for a scientist such as myself, who was used to performing simple and meaningless tasks to get results, finally feel as if there was no answer for my questions. No one could understand… and neither could I.

I followed close behind the footsteps in front of me. At no time did this man slow down or begin to run impetuously, and for that I was grateful. We continued down the same path for a while, and then—I saw it.

Light.

I estimated that about a mile or so in front of me… there was light. I was antsy and I so desperately wanted to run ahead, grasp my lost light and return back… maybe to Radiant Garden. I didn't want to blow my cover, as I could still sense the man in front of me. The closer we got to the light, the more excited I became. I began to think that maybe I had fallen from a building into… into an underground chasm, and that light I saw in front of me now, was the pathway back up to the surface. Though I was a scientist, at that time I didn't feel like thinking through obvious facts. Such as, if I had fallen off a building, I'd be dead by now and you wouldn't be hearing all this from me.

The light became ever closer… I was enthralled and yet nervous. What if it wasn't Radiant Garden? I wondered where I really was…

We walked closer… slowly but closer… soon, I could almost feel the warmth of the light upon me. As I squinted into the near distance, I could see that it was a town unlike that which I've seen before. It was night, but also strangely dark for just a regular night. This definitely wasn't Radiant Garden. There were tall buildings decorated with neon lights at every corner, street lamps with outrageous colours and a pale, blue moon hanging in the sky. Something about this darkness also made me think that it was unnatural… and that real, pure light had never once reached this city.

I stepped into the "light", though it seemed much dimmer now than it has been, and looked around. This city was crawling with darkness in the foulest sense. The air was thin and damp as if it was always on the brink of rain. This city was something unfathomed by the human eye; I knew it. I was amazed by this city's architecture; the tall buildings, the bridges, the mile-high staircases into nowhere. I let my eyes absorb every crevice, every inch of light I could see. I almost bumped wholly into—the red-haired man from before.

"Smart kid." He said to me, his teal eyes scanning me liberally. He called me 'kid' often, but before I ended up this way, I was older than he was. I became an apprentice of Ansem at the age of seventeen, and it had been three years since then. At the time when I met this man, he was my former age. I had wanted to ask him how a boy so young had been devoured by these matters of the heart, but I felt I didn't know him well enough to ask such a question.

Instead, I stuttered. "I… w-where are we?"

He smirked at me and crossed his arms. "Well, if you're asking where we are, you're assuming two things: one, that we exist and, two, that where we are exists too."

I was confused by his words. I didn't bother to keep up appearances with my response. "What the fuck do you think you're talking about?"

He laughed. It was a very high-pitched laugh for a voice such as his. When he had composed himself and had finished relishing in, dare I say it, my _stupidity_, he gave me a solemn pat on the shoulder and smiled. "Haven't you figured it out yet? This isn't the place you go to when you're alive, or even when you die. This isn't heaven or hell, or Earth. So then—how can it exist in the realms of reality? The simple answer is—it doesn't." he nodded. "And if this place doesn't exist in the realms of reality, surely we must be the same. Therefore, this world doesn't exist and neither do we. Got it memorized?"

I gawked at him. … much too much fantastical information for me to absorb at once.

He continued. "There's the realm of light, where normal people… where _people_ can exist. There's the darkness realm where…" he turned to me, with an inquisitive eye. "You've heard of Heartless, right? Those dark beings born from the darkness in a person's heart—"

"So is that what we are?" I interjected, nervously. "We're Heartless… then?"

"We are heartless." He told me. "But we aren't Heartless; we're Nobodies."

I gawked at him once more. No… "Nobodies?" I questioned him. "I don't understand." You must realize at least this: I was a man of science. This… this "logic" wasn't faring well with my analytical mind. It didn't make any sense. For the first time, the questions I posed in my mind were also on the tip of my tongue. "How can we be without hearts and not dead? That makes no sense."

He rolled his eyes at me. How dare he. He looked around over my head and then behind him towards the city. "Listen, I know you have questions, so can we walk while we talk, please? I have somewhere I have to be."

I agreed only because I was curious to see more of this city and at the same time, I wanted answers. I began spewing out questions like wildfire. "So what keeps us alive? And how many more are there? How did we get this way? I mean, I know how I got this way, but how did you get this way? And how did everyone else get this way? Surely there aren't that many scientists experimenting with matters of the heart like I was, are there?"

He walked quickly and I was desperate to keep up. "Well," he began, slowly. "We're kept alive by our souls. Our will to live is what keeps us living. Simple concept?"

"I suppose." I lied. It made no sense whatsoever with a person's genetic makeup. You _die_ when your heart stops to work! There's no way around it!

"Okay good." He continued. "Next, there are tons more Nobodies but not all of them are like us. The majority of them are freaky-looking creatures; only the strong-willed humans become Nobodies with the ability to think, like us. We have more authority over the freaky-looking creatures, but you gotta be careful, sometimes they're frisky and they bite. But be happy," he stopped and took a second to look at me. Scanning me up and down, he said, "If you ended up here, like this, it means you weren't a dumbass. And considering that you keep talking about science like I care, I can assume that this was an experiment gone wrong, yes?"

"Y-yes." I didn't want to admit it fully, but the experiment had gone wrong in the worst way possible. Hearing him say those words to me and having me admit them… it was a stab in the chest. I hated it.

"Okay good. Next, most Nobodies become Nobodies if they're attacked by Heartless. Other times, hey—shit happens." He shrugged. "Heartless exist in the dark realm and can cross over, infiltrating the light realm and other worlds. Nobodies exist in twilight, the 'in-between'… betwixt and between, if you will. We too can infiltrate other worlds, but our home is here—where nothing lives and nothing dies. That all?"

I heaved a heavy, burden-filled sigh and nodded slowly. This was a very depressing way to learn about my current state. How do you think it'd feel if you learned all this in half an hour's time? Not so pretty, I'd imagine. "So…" I began, shakily. "We're… immortal—?"

"No." he stopped at the crosswalk and flipped around to face me, his eyes narrowed towards my being. "In order to be immortal, we'd have to _be_… immortal. … and—" he looked away. "—and a Nobody… doesn't even have the _right_ to _be_… so we're not immortal. We just _are_… but we _aren't_. It's complicated…"

There was torment locked away in his voice. I didn't ask him another question because I felt dispirited at the situation too. It was confusing; how could I be here, but not alive? But neither am I dead. If I'm neither dead nor alive, then I must be immortal, in a sense, but even that's impossible. In order to be immortal, I must be… I must exist. But I don't…

I don't exist…

I put a hand to my chest. The familiar heartbeat was no longer there. Instead, there was nothing. I felt anticipation for just one beat, just one small movement to prove that I was living and this man was telling me lies… but it never came. My last heartbeat… it never came.

Later, when he continued our walk towards his destination, I asked more about him and I was shocked to find him actually replying me. I'm not sure if he knew that he was telling me all this, as he walked with a proud yet lazy slouch and a daze about his steps, but he told me nonetheless. He told me that he used to be a baker's son, and all he would eat growing up were baked goods. He used to be a very sickly child, but he says eating baked goods made him feel better. Suddenly, just before he entered high school, his town was attacked by Heartless. His older sister and his parents were attacked and became Heartless before his eyes. Tormented and confused, he remembers running away and somehow ending up in a place called Traverse Town. He lived there on his own for a while and then, with a shopkeeper named Cid who helped to nurse him back to health after being on the streets for so long. He remembers going to the hospital for a "check-up" and blacking out. He woke up here, in 'The World that Never Was'. That was two years ago. He told me he'd have been 19 by now if he still had the ability to age. I remember my first encounter with him very well because it was the first time I had come face-to-face with a reality that I had no choice but to accept. And this man… this was Axel, Number VIII. I couldn't possibly remember his actual name for the life of me, but this was what we had learned to call him.

We reached what I assumed to be the end of the city. There was a cliff by an old building with the old moon hanging dimly behind it. I assumed we'd turn into the building, but instead I followed him past the building to the edge of the cliff. He seemed unafraid of falling to his bloody doom, but I wasn't one to laugh in death's face. He seemed to have sensed this from me, and turned to me with a smile. "Naught's Skyway." He said, gesturing to the open air. "You afraid of heights? You shouldn't look down then." And with that, he took one step off the cliff. I watched in awe as a crystal path formed beneath his feet. As he continued to walk, more of the pathway began to reveal itself until it shone towards the moon. He walked quite fast and I was afraid of falling behind, so with what courage I had left, I sprinted until I was close behind him. "It's a pathway," he told me. "A pathway that can't be found unless you already know where it is. You have to memorize it real good too, because—believe it or not—too far off one side, and it's to the pits with you." He gestured to the murky abyss below us. I glanced down but not long enough for me to pass out. We were a considerable way above solid ground. Axel continued to speak as if trotting along this invisible pathway wasn't such a big deal. He said, "I have a friend, if you can call him that—name's Saix—he was planning on constructing an invisible barrier to go with the invisible pathway. But—sometimes he can be a little weird, you know? I figured you can't make something that's invisible; else you can just lie about it and say it actually exists. Strange, huh?"

I was in no mood for conversation. So I nodded, muttered a 'yes', and kept to myself. We were nearing the blue moon in the sky, but I noticed as we trekked closer to it, it began to vanish. Soon we were walking through it as if it hadn't ever been there. But that wasn't an issue once it was past us. The large monument hidden behind it captivated me. A gigantic castle-like building stood before us. This one seemed solid, but then again, so did the moon. I shivered to think of what may lie inside since Axel had talked so freely of oddities existing in this world.

Though I was terrified, though I was without reason—I never became homesick. I had seen this fake reality that I was to live in, and though I wasn't quite fond of it at first, I knew I could never return. There was no logic behind being homesick.

We approached the gates and they opened before us. The front doors of the building seemed to open as we neared them too. As we came ever closer to the front doors, I could see the insides of the building in all its 'glory'. Like I had imagined, but never hoped, it was dark. There were lights pasted across the tops of the walls, but they too were dim. Some way down the hall I could see rooms with brighter lights, but the majority of the building was dark. I gave an aggravated sigh. It would take getting used to, but for some reason, I didn't find myself missing the light.

"Axel!" We stopped in midst of the dim hallway, as we heard a female voice accompanied by fast-paced footsteps coming from the upper levels. I looked up and followed the footsteps with my eyes. A young woman… a girl, I'd say, bearing golden blonde hair appeared down the hall by the staircase. She was short and had the look of a child, but she possessed a great aura. There was something very womanly about her. She crossed her arms, and jerked her head towards the stairs. "He said he's tracked something. Alone, lost, hopeless—the usual." She gave a careless shrug.

"Was it him?" Axel asked suddenly, as he pointed at me objectively. I looked between him and the girl nervously, unsure of what he was talking about.

Another careless shrug. "Maybe, but I don't know. You know Saix's descriptions…" She rolled her eyes ignorantly, and then turned to look at me. I could tell her gaze was meant to be intimidating, but I'd felt worst things… and intimidation was not one of them. I instead retorted to scanning the building. Decapitated and dark, it really was a work of art—

Axel sighed. "Lay off it, Larxene."

Larxene: Number XII. As I'd later learned, she was brought up in a rather cruel manner, but was the daughter of a scientist. A 'mad' scientist, as she often proclaimed, because he'd love to experiment with everything and anything he could. He wouldn't keep it a secret either, and it was his exploitation of his works that got him kicked out of Radiant Garden. They moved to a rural area and here, she says, he began his worst experiments. She, herself, was often a product of his most dangerous ones. She remembers being dragged out of bed by her father, who was red in the eyes with beads of sweat rolling down his face manically, and dragged into the fields. There, she was strapped onto a contraption made of metal and was drugged. It happened several times, and usually when she awoke, she'd feel woozy and numb all over. She'd be in bed for days. However, the last time it happened, she awoke here in the darkness at 'The World that Never Was'. It was a gruesome way to grow up, but I could relate to her eternal sadness.

Axel and Larxene headed up the stairs, and I followed, afraid to fall behind. I was surprised that the upstairs was a bit brighter than the downstairs. At the end of the hall, there was a room that was well-illuminated; the most light I'd seen since I'd been here. As I approached it, I could see a man rushing back and forth from the view of the door. The azure-haired man was holding a thick book that he held under his arm tightly. Soon his pacing stopped and he seemed to have disappeared to a corner of the room. We entered, and spotted the man by what looked like a computer with a mimetic grid on it and random moving dots. The other two were familiar with this, but I was not. Yet from what I could get, this grid of some sort had something to do with a map of this world.

His name was Saix, Number VII. Of all that I'd met there, he told me the least about his past life. He claimed he lived in a town called Traverse Town for a short while until it was attacked by Heartless. He remembers running into an alleyway and hiding away from the outbreak. Before he fell asleep, he spotted two beady, yellow eyes approach him, and then he blacked out. When he awoke, he awoke here, in darkness. When I prodded him for more, he refused to tell me. He would always tell me these infamous words. 'What's done is done, and can not be undone; that is the eternal sin of a Nobody'.

His sharp eyes perused me carefully. He turned in his swivel chair slowly towards me and crossed his arms, his eyes still readily browsing my features. I was nervous as he spoke. "You're the one I spotted, aren't you?"

I was confused as to what he meant, so—for the first time in a long while—I actually gave a shrug as a response. Usually, someone like me would never… but then again… I wasn't me any longer. It was an unnerving feeling, because if I wasn't me, then who was I really?

"Hey kid," Larxene rushed around in front of me. I groaned and rolled my eyes; why was everyone calling me 'kid'? What the hell? I'm a _scientist_, not a child! And she was definitely younger than I was! She continued in her dark tone oblivious to my temper rising, "Was there anyone else out there with you? You were alone, right?"

"I—"

"He talked about five other guys." Axel interrupted, attempting to remember. "Friends of yours, right? But if you guys were separated, then you must've been the one who popped up on Saix's grid."

"Unless one of the other five were alone too." Saix put in, quickly. He turned to me once more. I was becoming irritated with not being allowed to talk. But once again, before I could open my mouth, Saix began to speak. "There seems to be an influx of Nobodies these days." He seemed to be explaining this to me, but he never directly addressed me. I realized later that it was because I was still a nameless Nobody as I had abandoned my old name and had not adapted a new one like the others. He continued, "This grid system—" he pointed to his computer screen. "—maps out the entire nonexistent world and any intelligent movement within it. When new intelligent Nobodies appear, they don't appear in one spot, as you would imagine." He spun around on his chair towards his desk and punched in a few keys on his computer. In seconds, the one grid multiplied into several different grids with several different maps, each a different part of the city. On each grid, there were small flashing lights that would appear and then disappear every so often. "Intelligent life forms," he told me, noticing my amazement with the… blinking dots. I must admit, though, that this Saix was a very bright individual. It's hard to put this sensation into words, but I felt as if things had a possibility of being the same as before; that intellectuals such as myself could still exist here in twilight. I had newfound hope that if I were to find my counterparts once more, we could form a research team and be able to conduct experiments here in… in 'The World that Never Was'… it would be a perfect ending to a bittersweet tale.

"There's currently…" Saix's voice interrupted my chain of thought. He poked at a few more keys and continued to speak, albeit slower than before, "There's currently no intelligent life moving in wards 1 to 3… and there are traces of intelligent life in wards 4, 5 and 7."

"Should I go and check?" Axel asked, although his voice didn't sound very enthusiastic at all.

"Right away." Saix rose to his feet and pulled the ripped coat he was wearing tighter around his shoulders. I saw Axel flash a glare in his direction when his back was turned, but Saix didn't seem to pay much attention to him. "And make sure—"

There was a loud beeping coming from the computer, which caught me off guard completely. The sound was painful enough for ears to bleed, but Axel and Saix seemed immune to this demonic sound. Saix sat back down at the computer and began to punch in commands. He hummed, "Intelligent life forms… in ward 3… moving to 4—"

"Jesus, Saix, turn that goddamn beeping off!" Larxene snapped at him, clasping both her hands over her ears. He glanced at her over his shoulder, and with nothing short of annoyance, he flicked the alarm off. Larxene sighed and massaged her ears slowly. "That gets so annoying… you'd think we'd use the fucking Speed Racer theme song instead. Fucking lunatic…" She crossed her arms stubbornly and looked to her feet.

"Sorry, Princess Bitch." Saix groaned, bluntly. Larxene's face went red with anger as he said that, but he didn't acknowledge her at all. "So it's ward 3… and it seems like 2 or 3 of them."

"2 or 3?" Axel gave an exasperated sigh and threw his head back. "Why can't you just be sure? I'm not going out there looking for 3 people when there's only 2, okay—"

"I'll go with you." Larxene interjected and instantly took a step closer to Axel. I seemed to be the only one who noticed, but apparently, she did that a lot.

I hadn't known when I had spoke, but before I knew it, the three of them had their eyes upon me uneasily. I had uttered the words 'and so will I'. Larxene glared at me, but Axel and Saix just stared at me, their eyes filled with question and confusion. I admit that I was desperate to find my counterparts. I was hoping that these 'two or three' might be them. I wanted to see for my own eyes that they weren't. When I tried to open my mouth to explain this, Saix, once again, interrupted me. "Who _are_ you?" he asked me.

Once again, I'm being bombarded with this question. I was frustrated—damn it, I don't know who I am! I know who I was. I can tell you who I was. But what good is that if I'm no longer him? I grumbled and shook my head slowly in vain. "I don't know…" I muttered, bitterly with a hint of defeat lingering in my voice. "I… I know I'm no longer what I was… b-but then who am I?"

"Who _were_ you, then?" Saix asked me again.

"Ienzo. Ienzo Neves of the Neves family of Radiant Garden." I was promiscuous in proclaiming my past name. I said it with such zeal that… I sounded proud. I spotted Axel smirk at me in spite of myself. I had nothing to be proud of… I knew it. But I also knew this was the last time I could proclaim my name as a Neves. It saddened me, and it scared me. From that point on, I was no longer a Neves… I was no longer Ienzo. Then… who was I, really?

In ancient times, I'd read stories about those who mourn for their lost being, their lost lives, their past selves… and they use X in place of their titles. The X symbolizes that they've lost a part of themselves or had forgotten a part of themselves during the progression of time. I wasn't very well going to call myself Ienzo X, because not only had I lost my last name—I'd lost _myself_. I remembered everything about a boy named Ienzo, but yet, I was no longer him and it seemed as if his life was a story that I had memorized, word-for-word and scene-by-scene. I… I wanted to be born anew as someone… something… as a different entity.

I would abandon the name 'Ienzo'. I would not even use the name 'Ienzo X'. I would become Zexion, an anagram of my former self but nothing quite like it. Rest in solitude and peace, Ienzo Neves. An eternal sleep is just what you desired… is it not?

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Okay, this was kinda long XDD;; But I hope someone out there read through the whole thing, understood it and liked it:D;;

I made up… like everything. XD; And it was much too hard to come up with a reason for why the Organization have anagram names, so um… yeah. Hopefully it sounded decent. And still, it's fiction, so it's all good. :D I just hope it seems logical in an illogical sort of way. :D Thanks for reading! New chapter soon :D

By the way, the new summary is based off a quote from Saix in this chapter. I have a bad habit of changing summaries halfway into the story... but oh well :D


	7. Oh, Melodious Assassin…

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 7  
Oh, Melodious Assassin…

We scurried down Naught's Skyway; we, being Axel, Larxene and myself—Zexion. I still hadn't adapted to my new identity yet, as I'd never answered to anything but Ienzo in my life. Oftentimes as we headed down the endless Skyway, Larxene would bring something up, and end with an 'isn't that right, Zexion?' More often than not, I had no idea she was even addressing me. I would give a feeble reply, but there was something strange about how I spoke. I noticed that the confidence, the assertiveness and the boldness I used to possess… it was gone. All of it was like a distant memory. I could see in my head chapters out of 'The Story of Ienzo Neves', and I would admire the way in which he used to speak. He had a bold smile, a daring twinkle in his eye and an aura of superiority that no one could touch. Has it been that long since I've been here? Has it been that long since I'd lost my former being?

"Don't look so out of it." Larxene gave me a shove in the shoulder. I gave a slight gasp and jumped a little. I assumed she and Axel had been down this Skyway many times, but if anything, it was definitely one aspect I couldn't stand. I felt no comfort in walking down a pathway that I couldn't see, miles above ground. She seemed to find resolve in my nervousness and she let out a sharp laugh. "Really, you act as if this is _the end of the world_." There was something very haunting in her voice as she said that. I flashed her a disgruntled look, but she was definitely one child that didn't know how to take hints. She continued to speak, "It's not so bad once you get used to it. The good thing is that our bodies are technically empty vessels so nothing really hurts—" at this she grinned and, if I didn't think she was crazy enough, she pulled out a small pocket knife from the hem of her skirt. I froze.

"Lay off it, Larxene," came Axel's droned reply. I had a desperate urge to cling onto his arm, but I was in no way a man that succumbed to desperation.

At Axel's faint words, Larxene gave a childish pout and stuffed her pocket knife away. "There's nothing else to do for fun but scare the newbies."

Excuse me?

"Besides," she continued. "It's not like he knows everything yet."

Excuse me?

"Yeah, he does."

I didn't particularly like being talked about as if I wasn't even really here, but I had no say in this conversation. I was actually quite unsure of what they were talking about. I ignored them for the time being and peered a ways ahead in front of me. I was relieved to see that the Skyway was ending soon. In a short while, we'd be in 'Ward 3', and I would be a step closer to finding my fellow counterparts.

Larxene suddenly gasped and rushed past me, almost knocking me over. She ran to Axel's side and tugged on his arm in a playful manner. "Are you kidding?" her tone of voice was anything but playful, however. She glowered at him. "You told him _everything_? You know Saix says that's not such a good idea—"

"Screw Saix; it's not like he's God." Axel rolled his eyes and shook his arm free of Larxene's grasp. "Besides…" he jerked his head in my direction. "He asks a lot of questions."

At this, Larxene turned to glare at me, as if my inquisitive mind was now a sin and would doom us all. The way I saw it, we were already a doomed species. Besides, I saw no harm in asking a few questions. That's how you learn after all. And if this is my current state, then I have a right to know exactly what's happening to me. I didn't think Saix had any say in that.

I ignored Larxene's glaring and was distracted by a swirl of silver dancing around the end of the Skyway. I continued to stare at it, my feet slowing down with every step. I had never seen anything like it before. It wasn't a Heartless of any kind that I'd heard of. I seemed to be the only one of the three of us who was fascinated by it. It looked like an interesting specimen. If possible, it looks like something I would be able to study. As we neared it, the other two seemed to approach it as if it weren't there and they attempted to walk right by it. I wanted to slow down and take a closer look. I was unsure if it was a violent creature, and I so desperately wanted to ask what it's type was, what causes its inhabitance—so many questions… but as soon as I stopped by the creature, Larxene grabbed me by the arm and gave me an uncomfortable jerk in her direction. She had a strong grip for a young girl.

"What was that?" I asked, as we departed from the creature's landing.

"I thought you said he knew everything." Larxene muttered bitterly, crossing her arms. I ignored her. She really was an attention-seeking little bitch, wasn't she?

"The unintelligent life-forms Saix doesn't track." Axel told me. "Nobodies, but the less fortunate, more insignificant kind."

As we walked further and further away from the creature, I couldn't help but glance at it every now and then. I could still see its silver arms flailing in the distance. It made me wonder… if they are Nobodies such as us, and such as me, does that mean that I could have very well ended up the same way as them? And if that proves true… then could the others have ended up that way…?

No…

My feet had stopped. My eyes were glazed over with regret… with sorrow… I felt limp as I watched the swirl of silver in the distance. … in my head, I was smiling; a wry, very insecure smile. It was silver, so I laughed to myself and thought that if it were any of my friends, then it would be Xehanort… but even that thought didn't make the hole in my chest feel any lighter. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't… I hadn't thought of the possibility of my friends becoming any form other than their human selves. This thought alone scared me.

I heard a scream.

I hadn't noticed it now, but I was alone. I looked around; I was totally engulfed in darkness. Yet now I felt more of a familiarity in this darkness, and as I realized that I had nothing to lose, I walked closer and closer into it. I heard the same scream again. It was a voice I'd never heard before, a high-pitched voice, almost feminine. As I walked briskly through the darkness towards the scream, I tried to imagine who it could've been. If it was a female voice, it was probably Larxene, but she didn't strike me as the type who would ever scream if something was wrong. I instantly thought of my friends from the lab. I'd never heard Elaeus scream that high… and although Braig could be a bit emotional at times, I'd never heard his voice go that high ever—

There it was again. The same scream, but this time, accompanied by frantic bawling and pleas for help. As I raced closer to the screaming voice, I hoped that it was someone I knew. I hoped to God that my friends were still their human selves. I'd become so fond of them… I didn't want to lose them this way. No… not like this.

My feet moved faster. I was running now, towards the voice. Running at full speed, the atmosphere began to clear up and soon, I could see a bit clearer through the heavy darkness. The dim city lights weren't enough to illuminate the town, but I noticed the pseudo blue moon was back in the sky, and that aided my vision a bit more. I continued to run towards the scream until—I tripped. I ran straight into something lumpy and soft on the ground, and I tripped over it, landing face down on my stomach. It would've been horribly nauseating, but I felt as if I'd be okay in a moment. Yet my arms and chest stung from the fall, and so I lay there a bit longer, trying to catch my breath.

I had noticed, however, that the screaming stopped. I didn't have enough time to wonder why, as I felt something move quite suddenly by my leg. I lifted myself from the ground with difficulty and backed away slowly from whatever it was. The area I was in was cramped, and I noticed that it was either an alleyway or a really small road. In any case, I was thankful that I didn't run into the walls on either side. I looked to my right suddenly to see what I'd tripped over. I was confused to see a man lying face down on the ground as well. He attempted to prop himself up by his arms, but he kept falling down on his face. I assumed that he'd give up, but he kept trying to sit up over and over again.

"… n-need some help?" I whispered timidly.

"No thanks." The man replied. He didn't seem to be at all phased by the fact that I'd just ran over him. He eventually sat up and leaned against the wall, breathing in a rugged manner. He gave a deafening cough, and banged against his chest irritably. "Stupid cough still hasn't let up…"

I looked at him, oddly. I wanted to ask him why he was screaming like a madman, but before I could open my mouth, it appeared he'd whipped out something from his pocket and began to poke at his blond hair with it. I was confused… did this look like a time to be fixing your hair?

In an instant, he dropped whatever he was holding and backed away from me slowly, fear plaguing his child-like eyes. "You're…" he stuttered, raising a finger at me.

I heard footsteps racing around the buildings in all directions, but my eyes stayed locked on the man before me. His voice was wibbling and he looked as if he would break down and cry soon. "You're not with _them_, are you?" he whined at me.

"With who?" I asked, confused.

Before he had a chance to answer, I looked up and spotted Axel with a large and lethal chakram clutched in his hand. I'd only seen those in movies, yet for some reason, it didn't occur to me to question where he got it from so fast. He either didn't spot me or seemed to ignore me altogether, but he turned to the blond, squeamish man by me and asked him, a sardonic smile upon his lips, "Where's your friend?"

The man whimpered and raised a shaky hand—in my direction. I pointed to myself in confusion, but once again, neither of them noticed me. It was becoming redundant, and, dare I say it but I hated being ignored. The blond-haired man was pointing over my head into the distance. I followed his hand and spotted, over my shoulder, another man hidden in the shadows. He was tall, lanky and had somewhat of a feminine air to him. I wasn't sure if it was just the darkness getting to me, but this man seemed to have layers upon layers of pinkish hair falling delicately upon his face. I'd never seen anyone with pink hair before, let alone another _man_, so I couldn't help but stare at him.

As soon as Axel noticed him, the pink-haired man instantly glared at the blond by my feet. "Is that what I get for thanks?" he snarled at him, his voice with an unstable sort of tone. He took a cautious step back and looked up at Axel, who looked as if he would lunge at him at any moment. "Don't associate me with this guy—I just met him. If it's him you want, you can take the useless snipe—"

The blond's sobbing subsidized long enough for him to flash angry looks at the pink-haired man. "Useless _snipe?_" he snapped at him, angrily.

It was an unusual phenomenon that I had never experienced, but it seemed as though as soon as the blond screamed, a wave of water crashed down upon us heavily. It would've knocked me unconscious if I hadn't held my arms over my head. The pink-haired man was knocked down and away a few feet by the crash of the water, and Axel was thoroughly soaked and heavily pissed. His chakram was clutched tighter in his grasp and he glared at the hyperventilating blond by his feet.

The blond screamed, and another wave came crashing down, nearly washing everyone onto the road. I knew this wasn't the time to be analyzing things, but it almost seemed as though… all this water was being caused by the overreacting blond. I was thoroughly fascinated. I'd never seen anything like this before in my life. It was as if his emotions… or, excuse me—his state of being was triggering an elemental occurrence. Amazing…

Larxene suddenly appeared behind Axel, soaking wet and looking just as pissed as he was. "What the _fuck?_" she snapped, bitterly. "What in the fuck is going on here?"

"There's more?" the blond man whimpered, backing away from her and closer towards me.

"Please—go away—" I muttered, but not before he began to bawl at the top of his lungs and another wave of water crashed down on my head.

"Can we just bring them back to Saix already?" Larxene asked, crossing her arms. "This crybaby—" at this, she kicked the blond man in his side. He looked up at her incredulously, as if he couldn't believe he was being bullied by a young girl. It bothered him more than it should have. "—is really starting to piss me off." Then, she looked at me. I hadn't expected her to notice me there—as no one else had—but she did, and she signaled for me to get up and join her outside of the alleyway. I scrambled to my feet and rushed over without hesitation.

"You little bitch!" the blond screamed again. The same wave came crashing down upon us at the same speed. It almost felt as if my head would've been shot off with such force. The pink-haired man in the alleyway had either passed out, or was pretending to be dead, as he was still sprawled across the ground.

Larxene grumbled and mumbled something under her breath. From the hem of her skirt, where she stored her knife, she seemed to pull out an array of small daggers. She shot them into the sky and suddenly, the sky grew darker—if possible. I watched in awe as storm clouds formed within the waves of water. It all happened very fast and I'm sure that if I'd blinked, I would've missed it. In an instant, lightning began to crash down in the alleyway like the waves of water did before them. The alleyway was a show of lights and it was the most light I'd seen in this world in twilight. It only lasted a moment, but once it was cleared, the blond man was passed out on the ground and the pink-haired man, if he wasn't dead before, was either dead or severely injured now.

Larxene was the first to rush into the alley. She instantly bent down by the pink-haired man and hoisted him up, slinging his arm over her shoulders. She lifted him, his weight dragging down on her. "We need to get them out of here, like now." She trudged to the end of the alleyway—and passed on the effervescent man on to me. I slouched him over my back so I wouldn't drop him and struggled with adjusting to his weight. He was quite heavy for being so thin, and he smelled oddly of flowers. When I'd looked up, Axel had the blond in his arms and his chakram had disappeared. Larxene dusted off her skirt, and sighed, "Come on, quick. This crazy Nobody attacked me somewhere back there, and I don't wanna run into him again."

"So we should go back and get him too." Axel shrugged, carelessly. "Saix did say 2 or 3—and anyhow we get there and we have to come back—"

"It's okay, he's not important." Larxene objected, shaking her head. She led the way back towards Naught's Skyway.

I was skeptical. I was curious about the Nobody who had attacked her. She didn't mention any details about him… but she did mention it was a him… right? So… so there was a possibility, however slight, that the Nobody she ran into could have been… "Larxene," I interrupted, shakily. Axel flashed me a confused look, and Larxene whipped around to face me. She had a look on her face that just read 'don't ask me any questions', but I figured she wouldn't have turned around if she didn't want to answer any questions. "Larxene, about that Nobody… how did they look like?" I asked her.

"Oh him?" her steely gaze softened somewhat, and her tone became unstable. "Freakish eyes… he was blond, short hair… kept talking about money and how he 'needed his money back'… he sounded a bit like he was crazy." She shuddered a little and whipped back around. "Why?" she called over her shoulder.

I sighed, shaking my head. Just by her description, I knew it was none of my friends. I was saddened by the fact that I still wasn't able to find them, but I didn't completely give up hope. Axel did say that this is where Nobodies appear first, so I knew I had to meet them somewhere. It was impossible to think otherwise. The six of us had all been under the same contraption, gone through the same experiments… so then there was no way that I would end up here, and they would not. I'd find them… somehow. I knew I would.

We arrived back at the mansion where we lay the two Nobodies down in Saix's computer room. There were lounge chairs by the windows. This room often reminded me of Sir Ansem's study, where my counterparts and I had consulted so freely… I miss them. I missed them with… with all my being. If anything, this was the only thing I was certain I was feeling somewhere in my soul, in my body… I missed them.

"There's still one more." Saix's words burned holes through Axel's being like a spike. I could see the resentment in his eyes for Saix, but Saix was usually oblivious to his surroundings, and calm towards any type of feeling that anyone portrayed towards him, so he didn't seem to care. As soon as Saix said this, of course Larxene shuddered in her own right. She was probably thinking of the Nobody that got away, the one who she'd encountered and whom I thought to be an acquaintance of mine.

Saix's next phrase, however, shocked us all quite a bit. "He's followed you." A smile crept its way to his lips in a menacing fashion.

I understood what he said, but for some reason, it was hard to seriously come to terms with the situation that another being had followed us. It was then, and only then… not even in the alleyway, but only then was I afraid of the actions of the intelligent Nobodies. It had slipped my mind that I was a Nobody, and that Axel and Larxene and Saix were Nobodies, and that we could all think for ourselves. I admit it was an odd and scary concept; a nothing that could think, could plan… could provoke. It was all too surreal.

There was sudden rustling behind the door in the hall, and I could hear footsteps approaching the room. Frightened but curious, I approached the door with caution, but Saix grabbed a hold of my arm before I got too close. In an instant, there was a burst of flame to my right and from the corner of my eye, I could see a pair of chakrams appear in Axel's hands. Simply amazing—they came out of nowhere… Before I had any time whatsoever to contemplate how this was possible by scientific methods, the door burst open. A figure cloaked in the shadows stood there.

"Wait!" It cried, but not before a flaming chakram went flying towards the door. The figure ducked and took a forwards dive into the room to land by Saix's feet.

"Attack first, ask questions later?" Saix spat through gritted teeth.

Axel's tone was anything but inviting. "Always works." I had no idea what relationship Axel and Saix had because they never talked about it, but I could assume they weren't on best friend terms. If that was the case, then why did they cooperate with each other up till now? I was incredibly curious for an answer, but I didn't provoke the thought any longer.

The Nobody on the ground got to his feet in a shaky manner and held up his hands in a means to surrender. In the dim light of the room, I could see his face a bit clearer. He was just as Larxene described him; short, cropped blond hair, an uneven short beard at his chin and, as I assumed before I got a good look at him, an earring dangling from his ear. He looked like a rebel I might've seen from the streets of Radian Garden once. He shielded his head away from free aim, still holding his hands up, scarred and dirty, hoping that no one would attack him. "Don't hurt me, please," he croaked, and gave a slight cough.

"That can be arranged." Saix said, casually. He headed back to his computer desk and typed away at his keyboard for the time being. I wasn't sure if it was only me who was anticipating his response, but it seemed as though the others had come to a sudden stop too.

Except for the man at the door. "My money… my money…" he kept whispering, as if in a subconscious trance. His eyes, too, were glazed over with something I'd never seen before. He collapsed to his feet, still muttering 'my money…'. I rushed over and offered to help him up, but he only looked at my hand as if it was a foreign object. He didn't move, nor did he reply to my offer. I was discouraged. I at least hoped he'd say something to me so that I knew it would be okay to converse with him. I wanted to know if he'd seen any others… any others like him out there. I was reluctant to believe that my friends had turned into those creatures I'd saw. It was a weird sensation to say the least. I could sense them amongst myself, but I wasn't entirely sure if it was them, or someone else that I felt. I wanted to believe it was…

Larxene had seemed to be distancing herself from the man on the floor a great deal. She stayed in the corner with the two sleeping men, watching them to see if they'd soon awaken. Saix wasn't one for words, and he didn't feel as though questioning the motives of the man on the floor was of any importance to him. I wondered why he found it his job to gather any intelligent Nobodies. Was he a researcher as well? I almost wish that he'd told me a bit more about his past. Maybe I wouldn't be here asking such frivolous things.

It was Axel who joined both the man and I by the doorway. I wanted to first ask about his chakrams; where did they come from and what connection do they have with fire? But before I could speak, he spoke first. However, not to me, but to the man on the floor, "Name?" he asked him.

The man twitched, and looked up at Axel with nothing short of a glare. "You first."

"I asked first, kid." Axel smirked, crossing his arms. He appeared to call everyone 'kid', I supposed. The man before us was clearly both our senior, at least by eight or nine years. I figured the man would get angry at the least, but instead he got to his feet and outstretched his hand in a manner of prestige. If I hadn't known, I would've thought that the Nobody before me used to be a man of stature, quite like my father… and possibly like me.

Luxord: Number X. Like I presumed, he once was the vice president of a hotel chain. He and his partner were well established on the market and business was more than decent for the both of them. He remembers going through an important deal, worth much more money than I had ever dealt with, even during my time as a Neves. It was a business deal with a trade company for over five billion munny, and it was to go through the night that there was an outbreak of Heartless in Radiant Garden. I admit, I was confused to hear this fact because I'd never heard of any Heartless raiding the streets of the Garden, but he assured me this is what happened. It was minor and the town was able to keep the problem under control, so it wasn't an epidemic. After a meeting, he remembers meeting his partner at the board office with the trade employees for the deal. His partner betrayed him, swindled him out of a deal. In reality, his partner had signed a deal with the trade company that would make him the CEO of their company and would leave the hotel chain in bankruptcy—to Luxord. He was furious with rage and demanded an answer, but his partner had nothing to say to him. He remembers going into a drunken rage onto the streets and being attacked by a mob of Heartless. That wasn't his biggest concern, he says, as he was fading into darkness… he had already lost everything in a horrible, horrible gamble of fate.

Axel didn't shake his hand. Instead, he flashed it quite a grotesque look and distanced himself from it. I wasn't one to be rude since I knew he used to be someone close to my status, so I shook his hand and introduced myself as Zexion. It was still odd for me to do so, but I was adjusting better than I thought I'd be. I introduced everyone else in the room, as no one seemed to want to be friendly towards Luxord at all. I felt a deep pity for him, I suppose, because I could relate to him in some sort of way. If there was anyone I became attached to at that time, it was Luxord.

I desperately wanted to ask him about the others… maybe he knew something about them.

"Luxord," I approached him, cautiously. He no longer seemed hostile towards me, and actually looked upon me as if we were equals. "I'm curious, but… was there anyone else out there that you saw? … anyone like us?"

He looked at me and seemed to have been thinking long and hard about his response. I wondered how long he'd really been out there and how many 'others' he'd seen, and if any of them at all had been any of my friends. "Well—"

There was a loud, vibrant cough from the other side of the room. I cursed my luck indefinitely. Luxord was so close to telling me what I wanted to hear, and all because of coughing… I snapped my attention over to the far wall to see the blond man from before sitting up and hacking his lungs out with violent coughing. He glanced up, and choked when he noticed where he was. "What the hell am I doing here?" he stuttered, looking around frantically. Before Larxene could answer him, he spotted the pink-haired man on the sofa beside his and he grumbled. "Good for nothing… _snipe_." He sneered at him, and then looked away.

"Who are you?" Larxene asked, cocking her head to the side in annoyance.

"Who are _you_?" he retorted, testily. "You guys kidnapped me, remember? Why do you have to know who I am?" He scoffed, "Maybe you should've asked me that before you pounded the hell out of me."

"Axel," Saix spoke up from his computer. He didn't look up, but he knew Axel was paying minimal attention from the doorway. The redhead looked over at him with a roll of his eyes, ready for another useless lecture. Saix continued, "Axel, your methods are highly questionable."

"Oh yeah?" Axel snapped at him. "Maybe next time you should go, and I can sit on my ass all day pretending to be busy."

Saix said nothing to him but I did see a wave of annoyance wash his features delicately. He addressed the blond, "We aren't hostile Nobodies. We are simply interested in the amount of intelligent life-forms that appear here and wish to study who comes in and, on a rare occasion, who goes out."

Were my ears deceiving me? Was… he was a scientist, wasn't he? And his research… almost seemed like an odd inverse of mine. Something similar to… 'what happens on the other side?' … but this was amazing. I was speechless. Another scientist? Amazing… I was terribly interested in his story, but no matter how many times I would ask, he refused to tell me.

The blond sat up straight and slung his feet over the side of the sofa, resting them on the cold yet carpeted floor. He was Demyx; Number IX. He said he was a musician from Traverse Town and his demise was definitely not a long story or a false fact. He claims he used to be one for the 'trippy' life. He wasn't a frequent user of drugs, but he claims he'd tried everything. He was 'getting tired of living' and everyday seemed to be more boring and pointless than the last. He wasn't looking for an escape from life, but he was looking for something better to spend his time with other than getting wasted every other night. He met a man, whom he mentioned with vengeance, and this certain man introduced him to a certain drug. He was out of the drug lifestyle, but he assumed that nothing could get worse for him at that time. This drug wasn't manufactured anywhere but in the man's basement, and he had no idea what was even in it. He acknowledges that he was a fool to take it. After one dose, he was hooked and soon after a week, he no longer felt himself. This drug was slowly ruining him… so much to the point that he remembers waking up, and then slipping into a dark, dark abyss. That abyss was this world. I assumed the same side effects caused by the experiments on me were similar to how Demyx became a Nobody.

At the conclusion of his story, he turned to the pink-haired man and ripped something from his pocket. It was the comb he had from the alleyway. With no remorse whatsoever, he flung it at the pink-haired man, who twitched and rolled over onto his side. He took a sharp inhale and sat up slowly, remnants of sleep vanishing from his eyes. His hair was truly pink, and the aura of feminism around him didn't disappear, even in the light. Whilst he brushed his hair from his face softly, Demyx would only glare at him.

The man with pink hair; his name was Marluxia; Number XI. His story intertwines with Demyx's story in a very odd way. You see, Marluxia was the certain man who introduced Demyx to the certain drug. Marluxia was into botany and chemistry. He made a living off mixing substances together. He originally wanted to be a doctor, but he didn't have the patience to become one, and instead worked on his own projects. His mother suffered from an incurable illness and he was desperate to find a way to cure her. Along the way, he was responsible for a few of the street drugs that got passed around, but his major focus was not drugs, as he wasn't an avid drug user himself, but was medicine and a cure for illnesses of the heart. In dabbling with these illnesses, he says, he had found a pill that worked as a street drug but possessed the potency to cure the disease his mother had. He needed someone to test these drugs on and so, along with himself, he found two other people and introduced the drug to them. Demyx was one of the two. He noticed the symptoms when it was too late to go back, and he could no longer do anything for himself or for his patients. This is his eternal sin. Not only had he brought such despair upon himself, but also upon others. He was sure the other man he was testing the drug on had stopped its usage, but before he could see to anything else, Marluxia too had perished into the World That Never Was.

When he told me his story, I hadn't believed that someone like him would be capable of such a thing. He looked very frail and delicate, and definitely unlike Saix or even Braig. But I understood his sadness. I understood the feelings he had. To want something so much… it was something I wouldn't forget for a long time.

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Finally:D/ … okay. :D More next chapter. :D I hope everything's okay up till now ;;

Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice. :D


	8. A Penumbra

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 8  
A Penumbra

I had grown quite attached to these new people I had met. I had nowhere to go, and they knew that. I assumed that they figured I wouldn't be leaving, so they were prepared to let me stay with them. I was in awe at their blunt yet unenthusiastic hospitality. I was able to talk with them all a bit more and that made me feel comforted.

Larxene, for one, was not as young and naïve as I assumed she was. Like I mentioned before, she had a very womanly quality about her, and I soon found out it was because she had an old soul. It seemed that she'd experienced much and learned a lot during her short years thus far, and was not one to be taken lightly. She was either prone to tricking others or loved to cause people's misfortunes and pain, and so she was often found poking about Luxord, which only brought on endless headaches from nights of screaming. She also found it insanely amusing that I was, in her words, _a failed scientist_, and so she wouldn't leave me alone either. In fact, the only one of us that she didn't find much solace in bothering was Axel. Saix said it was because she was alone when she first entered this world and Axel was the only one who took care of her.

Saix was an enigma. Day and night, he'd be at his computer doing who knows what. He wouldn't talk much unless it was necessary and it was most obvious to everyone that he and Axel didn't get along at all. He didn't like to talk about why, though, and neither did Axel. I couldn't possibly begin to guess what had happened between them, if anything, or if they were just the type who were born to hate each other. But then again, since neither of us could feel, I doubt that 'hate' would be an appropriate word to use.

Speaking of Axel, he proved to be a very unique character indeed. He just was—and yet, he just wasn't. He didn't talk much to either of us, despite how much he'd warmed up to me the first time I met him, but he was still more pleasant to be around than Saix. He got sick often, although he wouldn't show it. I recall him telling me he was a very sickly child when he was young and still 'alive'. I was puzzled as to how it was that he would oftentimes become very weak and would sleep for days especially if being sick was no longer a possibility. When I'd inquired about his health, he only laughed and narrowed his eloquent, teal eyes at me. He would tell me to worry about something else, 'like Saix cutting you open in your sleep', and then would brush it aside as if it were nothing.

Of the newer Nobodies that I had met, Demyx was indeed _odd._ I'd spot him at corners of the castle where he would be seated with his sitar, and he would ask me to join him. He said he'd sing for me, but then he always wandered off onto some other topic and never once mentioned anything in song. While the others were more edgy and less inclined to an optimistic point-of-view, Demyx was definitely a more carefree spirit and he was often found playing with figures made of water and poking about every corner of the decapitated castle. Of all of us here… I strongly felt that he was one who definitely should've stayed on the other side. He was too much of a vibrant soul… he didn't belong here.

Luxord kept to himself more often than not. It's true he had a wild obsession with money, and I suspect that was something that had grown over time. He was a true businessman, as everything he said, even his petty arguments with Larxene, were done in style and bathed in ignorance. I felt he only stayed with us because he had nowhere else to go. I could sense he was a man of logic; if he was to leave, would he go back home? What was waiting for him there? I could understand this feeling, I suppose. If I were to leave and go back to Radiant Garden, what would I find? Ansem the Wise? My father? My mother? My… application to Briggs? What would I find… and did I even need them now that I was reduced to nothing? I would often sit by him and channel his thoughts, and just without speaking, I could understand the world about him. He didn't see a point to _it_… not anymore.

Marluxia was quite the girl, and I say that with utmost respect. When I'd heard his story and heard of his hardships, I had changed my view about him and saw him as a serious man of science. Behind his pink hair, I figured he must have been some sort of a genius to create a drug that, within a few weeks, solved the basis of our research. However, I was quite surprised to find him tending to a garden by the balcony of the castle. I didn't know where he found anything even _related_ to soil. But then he turned to me and told me that 'he made it himself'. My confusion only broke out slightly. I might've been old-fashioned, but how could a full-grown man be tending to a garden in this state? While you're lost and confused… and while you no longer exist… what more was a garden than a grain of sand? He told me that one day, he'd go and help his mother.

"When I become whole… I'll go back to her."

When he becomes… w-whole?

I didn't think about it… until then.

When he becomes whole… I mean, I knew it was a simple concept. When you're missing a piece, you're not whole. When you've found that piece, you're whole. But I was overanalyzing as usual; if we're missing something, does that mean we exist? We have to exist to be missing something, do we not? Otherwise, we technically can't be missing something and so therefore we are whole in a sense, but in a way, we aren't because we don't exist. In that way, we can neither be whole nor partial because to be either would mean to exist, and since we don't exist… that means…

… I'd missed the point completely.

What was a Nobody?

An empty shell; a soul.

What does a Nobody desire more than the world?

To _feel_… just to feel, is all.

What lies blocking the pathway to this desire?

A heart.

… to have a heart… that's what it mean to be _whole_.

I hadn't noticed it fully until then because I had taken pride in trying to find out as much as I could about these people, but I was… missing something very important… The stoic, brilliant boy from Radiant Garden… something was missing from when I was him, and from me… Zexion. Ienzo and Zexion truly were two different people… but why did it only bother me now? Why did it seem as though I was a sell-out to myself? Could it even be possible when I wasn't… myself?

Fucking hell! This confused me beyond _comprehension_ because I couldn't fix it! There was no logical way around it because logic—this world believes in a different type of logic; one that is completely illogical and irresponsible… one that gives you the answers you want, but not the ones you need. I didn't know what was wrong with me! Who says you needed a heart to feel whole? Who says you needed feelings? Sure, I could act as I used to… but it was no use! The chains that held him and I together were long severed… and now that… it was… I don't know anymore…

I just wanted… to fucking cry. I wanted to drop down in my 'room', and I just wanted to cry. I wanted to bawl my fucking eyes out till I see blood, and then repent—for I realize now that everything was wrong. Nothing was worth it… nothing. The experiments, turning against Sir Ansem… my father… nothing was worth it. When I stared out into the dark, dark abyss of this world that doesn't exist… I realize that nothing was fucking worth it…

… why can't I just die…?

"Cheer up, emo kid." Demyx once found me whimpering by the Skyway. I had contemplated for a while that I should just 'walk too far off one side' and fall to the murky abyss below. What awaited me there was probably no different than what awaited me here… it was nothing. I didn't acknowledge Demyx's presence, and he seemed to notice this. He gave me a light shove in the arm and sat down beside me. I knew he didn't like to be ignored so I glanced at him, and that was it. He should know by now to leave me alone when I'm in my sulking, 'nothing-will-ever-get-better' mood. "You're still pissed about your friends, aren't you?" At this he whipped out a cigarette from his pocket, and stuffed it into his mouth. All I could think of then was Elaeus and how his smoking used to irritate me. As Demyx breathed in the toxic fumes and blew smoke rings around his head, I only felt a greater urge to shove him off the Skyway. 'Smoking's bad for you! It causes cancer and so much other complications—don't you know that, you stupid child?'—I wanted to yell at him. But what's cancer… what's anything anymore…? He could contract cancer, I could pass out from an asthma attack, and I'll still see him tomorrow morning. "You listening?" he prodded me in the shoulder once more.

I nodded shortly and gave a slight sniff. He continued, "You'll find them."

"How can you be so sure?" I retorted sourly. "What's there to be sure of?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, and quickly held out his hand above his head. "Let me sing you a song," at this, his gigantic sitar formulated in his hand, almost knocking me in the head. He brought it down to his lap, and began to strum. "You may think that life, or what have you, just sucks right now… but there's always hope. Even shadows have light parts, you know."

… 'it's called a penumbra', I wanted to tell him. But I kept quiet. I knew he had a point. Before I opened my mouth to speak, he had strummed another note on his sitar and three dancing water figures popped out, prancing by his legs. "Even that freak Marluxia knows so." He told me, and then jerked his head towards the balcony behind us. "He has a garden of flowers. And who'd have thought… something can exist where nothing can. And that… something can grow, where nothing can die."

I looked at him. He grinned a toothy, disturbing grin at me. I looked away.

If anything… he was right.

He was right and I was wrong…

… I told you the logic of this world was puzzling.

But I had completely overseen the obvious. This world, although dark, was not a world of darkness. I existed only in twilight, where nothing lives and nothing dies, save for Marluxia's flowers. And hope… hope can be killed, but it can live also… if I'd lost everything else at that time, it wouldn't matter. I would keep my hope. I still believed that somehow my fellow counterparts were out there. I would find them somehow, or perhaps they would find me. Either way, I told myself I had to exist for this purpose. The Skyway would have to meet me at its bottom some other day. Because one day, I would be whole too.

As much as I hate to admit it, Demyx's speech actually made me experience pure optimism for the time being. I headed back into the castle 'feeling' a bit better than I had been. I skimmed the hallways in an aimless fashion. I had no idea what I was to do with myself, but for the first time in a while, I had thought of my friends in the least foreboding way possible. I had… I had no longer felt as if they had perished or had turned into dusks, as I'd found out was the name of those silver creatures. I couldn't explain it, but I could sense that they were here somewhere. I know it sounds odd and quite questionable, but… it was almost as if they'd imprinted a scent of some sort on my mind… and that scent was still pungent in this world.

It makes me seem odd enough to be describing things this way; as if I could _smell_ people and could identify them by what they _smelled_ like, because it made me seem as though I was an animal! It was very bizarre, and when I first began to get these sensations I thought I was going mad. But why wouldn't I have some form of a defect…? The others all had outrageous _gifts, _if I were to put it lightly, and so far I felt as if I had been given none. Axel had his fire and his chakrams, Larxene had her lightning and her daggers and even Saix had his claymore and his… _moon._ And I had nothing—well, nothing yet, I suppose. At first I didn't think much of my being able to sense other beings, but it was true. Just then, I recall a Luxord floating somewhere above my head on the second floor. He was heading east down the castle walls, as I could feel the scent leaving me.

And it was then that I remembered. The night Luxord had come to us, I wanted to ask him if he'd heard or seen anything regarding my friends… now would be a better time than any to ask him, what with my 'feeling' all optimistic and everything.

I approached him upstairs nervously and found him experimenting with a deck of cards. Contrary to the usual Luxord I'd seen—bitter, greedy and silent—this Luxord was much more flamboyant, if possible. He had succeeded in enlarging the deck of cards and using them to shield and absorb certain objects in the hallway. "Luxord," I called to him. "Luxord, I've been meaning to ask you—"

"Zexion!" he turned to me and beamed, outstretching his arms as if to hug me. As he approached me, so did his infamous deck of cards. It was an odd sensation; having a pile of overgrown cards dancing around you. Before I knew it, they had swarmed me, twisted me, mangled me—and absorbed me, so I was a card myself. I lost my balance, what with being two-dimensional, and I fell backwards onto the floor. "Oh no, no, no," he murmured, rushing over to me. He shooed away the cards, which fled to a corner of the hall. They appeared to be looking on in confusion, if anything. Luxord stood by me and crossed his arms. "Let's play a game."

… what the hell was this guy's problem? I'm a _card_, and he wants to play a _game_ with me? "Fix me first!" I tried to say, but I'm afraid it only came out in ruffles.

"This is a game of time." At this, he snapped his fingers, and suddenly, I could hear a ticking clock somewhere. I gaped at him as he summoned his cards over. He definitely wasn't the same Luxord I'd 'conversed' with earlier. He was different… and much more annoying. "Guess which card has your freedom." he waved three cards over and whirled them around with a flick of his wrist. They began to dance around me in an awkward fashion and I strained to read what was written on them. What did he mean by my freedom? What the hell? I just wanna talk! How did this all go so wrong so fast?

"Luxord!" I tried to yell, but once again, it was only ruffles.

"You have fifteen seconds." He snapped his fingers again and took a step back.

Was he crazy? I couldn't even move as a card, nor could I even reach the cards dancing around me. I glanced up as they whizzed by me. Freedom? What did he mean by freedom? What's wrong with him? I thought he was sane. What the hell? I groaned and slithered my way over to the nearest card I could reach. With much difficulty, I tapped the edges of the card and they all stopped spinning. Before I could scream at Luxord for using me as his little tool, I had regained movement in my legs and arms—I was human again.

Luxord stood above me, laughing in an awkward sort of fashion. "You play the game quite well."

"Are you out of your mind?" I sneered at him, getting to my feet and dusting myself off. The cards cowered behind him as I said this. "What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking," he interrupted me. "that I can create any illusion with these cards." At this, he gestured to them. "You see, they might as well be dancing, they might as well be still—but you'd never know, because it's all—" he held out his hand and a deck of cards appeared suddenly. The cowering cards behind him vanished at once. "—an illusion." He smiled, and placed the deck of cards in my hands.

… Luxord was much stranger than I gave him credit for. I figured now wouldn't be the best time to ask him about my friends, since he was acting so cynical and so strange. But I needed to know. Even if it was a short, stupid version of the truth, I still needed to ask him. Although I admit, he'd lost all credibility with me. "Luxord, about that night you showed up here—"

"Ah, yes." He interjected with a nod. "What about it?"

"Well… I was wondering if you'd seen or heard of any others…" I stuttered. "Because when I first came here, I came with five others, and I was separated from them… I've been meaning to ask you if you'd heard of anyone… anyone at all like us."

He looked at me a moment. It looked as if he was thinking long and hard about something. He didn't speak for quite a while, and I was pretty sure that he had no real answer for me. I was waiting for it. I was waiting for my optimism to be shot down. He hadn't heard of them, he hadn't heard of anyone… I was waiting for him to utter those words. That alone would give me some form of solace at least for the time being… "Actually—" Did he say that? Did he actually say 'actually'? "—there was… something…"

"Who? How did they look like? I can identify any of them, just tell me—"

"I'm sorry," he held out a hand to silence me, and shook his head with a grave sort of sigh. Had… had they been killed…? But no… how could they die if they weren't even alive? "I didn't see anyone like us, but… those dusks. I had talked to one in my time of desperation. I was amazed that one of them actually replied me because they didn't seem like intelligent creatures. But they had told me that they at first refused to approach me because they had met another Nobody like myself, one named Vexen, that had taken one of their kind hostage."

"Vexen…?" I repeated slowly.

…

… "Never heard of him." I mumbled.

"It's a shame." Luxord shrugged, crossing his arms. "By the way they talked about him, he seemed as though he was a very intelligent Nobody, if not a little insane. I was actually hoping to meet him here, but it seems as though no one has heard of him before."

I couldn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. Luxord was my last hope, and now it was like my last hope… was dying. It made no sense to me. They were here. I knew they were here. I could sense them, I could _smell_ them… but why couldn't I find them?

I thanked Luxord, reluctantly, for his time and wandered back to my room. I began to think. I had learned not to dismiss things on account of their lack of logic, as there seemed to be no such thing in this world. So I continued to think. I hadn't heard of them. No one had heard of them. But I could sense them here in this world. I knew they were here. So… casting away all logic… I would go and find them. What did I have to lose? What did I have to gain? Either way, I saw no point in staying here and wishing they'd show up. I'd done enough of that. My stay here was nearing a month and I still had not been able to uncover anything that I wanted to while I was here. So why not leave and find what I'm looking for?

Why not…? I couldn't help but smile; an ironic, ominous smile. I had asked myself that question of 'why not?' many times before. And look where it's gotten me…

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I wrote the majority of this with a horrible sinus headache, so if any of it seems somewhat screwed, then my apologies. :D I just wanna say that it's the most fun writing an angsty, confused Zexion. Really.

And also, after editing this chapter and re-reading it for mistakes lalala, I really do love this chapter a lot. :D I just think it's really well written and whatnot… okay, that's enough self-love. :D

New chapter soon!

By the way, a 'penumbra' is basically the lighter parts of a shadow. :D There are other longer definitions... but thank God for 8th grade science and its simplistic ways :D


	9. The Freeshooter

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 9  
The Freeshooter

I was able to wander out of the castle unnoticed. It made me a bit sad to find that they didn't really care if I'd left or not, but I suppose they knew I'd be back. I must admit my arrogance didn't let me indulge in their ideas, so I was definitely not planning on returning until I'd found at least one of my friends from Radiant Garden.

I kept this arrogant mentality throughout that day, and throughout the next, and the next, and the next… there was no sun, there was no moon—so I'm uncertain as to how many days passed by, but I could tell that I'd been wandering out there by myself for quite a while. I had come across many dusks and other forms of unintelligent Nobodies. I was hesitant to ask if they'd seen anymore like myself. The majority of them seemed to run from me anyway. I assumed it was because they thought I would cause them harm. I had no idea they were so terrified of me.

I had also run into many Heartless throughout my journey as well. Not so surprisingly, I found that they were pitch black with the exception of their yellow, beady eyes. When they saw me, they too would flee or part ways from me. I assumed they didn't attack me because I had no heart they could feast on. This gave me a miniscule sense of security, but I was still kind of scared of these creatures.

It felt like a month had passed since I left the castle, but it was probably only a week or two. I had wandered into what looked like a town square type of complex, surrounded by tall buildings illuminated by dim neon lights.

That was when I saw him.

Dressed entirely in black, a solitary figure began to approach me from the distance. I could see him, and I could sense him; this stranger had a familiar scent. But this familiarity was overshadowed by the frightening presence I could sense… he was walking quite briskly towards me. In his hands, he held two large weapons that shone a tinge of violet light. They looked like guns and arrows, but I couldn't make it out from where I was. I took a step back to brace myself—and suddenly, this man came running towards me. As he neared me and was within range, I could see he was missing an eye—and wore an eye patch instead.

"Braig?"

In a moment's time, he had aimed his gun arrows towards me and had fired off in my direction. Paralyzed with fear—or something like it—I ducked, holding my hands above my head. As one of the arrows nearly missed me, I could feel the heat pierce the air by my arm. I panicked. Did he really intend to kill me? I looked up and saw him run towards me manically. I doubt I could negotiate with him when he was in this state—but did he really not remember me?

I didn't have any time to contemplate it. In a second, he had disappeared from my line of vision—and reappeared, upside-down, above my head. I looked up and gazed into his eye—like I had presumed; something was missing. He aimed for me once more and smiled, sinisterly, "Let's see how you dance!"

I panicked and ran as he started to shoot me from above. He would disappear, and reappear, and shoot me again. It was as if he was teleporting all over the square—and it was driving me positively mad! There was no way I could outrun him! I had to try and negotiate with him and talk him out of this shooting frenzy. "Braig! It's me! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" I would scream at him, but he didn't seem to be listening. He would laugh, disappear, reappear—and shoot some more. At that time, I wished I had some kind of power like the others… a pair of chakrams would come in handy just then.

"Braig!" I screamed at him, waving my arms at him frantically. "Braig, it's me! _Don't shoot!_"

"Braig?" he didn't stop shooting for a second, yet he still conversed with me as I ran for my… nonexistent existence. "Why do you know my other's name?"

His other? I had no idea what he was talking about. What other? Whose other? This wasn't the time for foreign terminology, damn it! "Braig—I don't know what you're talking about—but, you don't recognize me?" I called to him, as I dodged another arrow.

"Recognize you? As if!" he cackled, and then reappeared once more to shoot at me.

I felt a brief sting on my arm and I looked to see the scar where his arrows pierced me. I looked into the air once more, and as he reappeared, I yelled to him in a frustrated manner, "Braig! It's me! I… Ienzo! Ienzo Neves! Don't you remember me?" I cried. I wasn't too fond of using my forgotten name as identification, but if that was the only way he would remember me, then so be it.

He stopped shooting at me. He reappeared once more, his gun arrows pointed directly towards me. He lowered them slowly and leered in towards my face, peering at me whole-heartedly. "Neves…?" he mumbled, scanning every crevice of my face. I felt uncomfortable, as he once again leaned in a bit too close for comfort, but I was silently praying that he'd recognize me. He looked me square in the eye. Lured by intimidation, I joined his gaze and took this time to examine his face. This was definitely Braig. I noticed the scars along his face, I noticed the creases in his forehead… I noticed the greasiness in his hair. This was Braig. But then, why didn't he answer me when I called him? Did he… did he renounce his name as well? Is that what he meant by 'his other'?

Slowly, Braig floated down to the ground—on his feet—and turned to look at me. He cracked a smile at me; one that was nowhere near an apology for trying to kill me, but one of acknowledgement. "Well whad'dya know?" he chuckled lightly, and gave me a pat on the shoulder. I returned his smile only briefly. I was truly ecstatic that I had found him—he knew where the others were, didn't he? He had to have known! If he had been out here this long, surely he must've seen them. I was incredibly eager to ask, but before I could speak, he took a step back and held out his hand. I believe he wanted me to shake it. I just looked at it for a while and then at his face. He seemed completely serious. "Xigbar." He told me, stately.

I looked at him again. So he had renounced his name… this was why he didn't answer me, wasn't it? I clasped his hand back in a firm handshake and replied, "Zexion."

Braig… Xigbar, he laughed. He gave me another pat on the shoulder and he laughed. "Zexion, eh? Well it's a pleasure _Zexion_—" he seemed to really find this funny. "—I'll be seeing you around."

"W-wait!" I called to him just as he'd turned to walk away. Just like he normally would, he turned to me with a look of annoyance plaguing his eyes. I couldn't help but smile a little. At least I knew he hadn't changed much since Radiant Garden… I was grateful that at least something was the same. "I was hoping that you'd tell me where the others were…" a look of curiosity seemed to find its way to his features when I asked that. "I haven't seen or heard of any of them since I got here, and you're the first I've seen that I know."

"The first of our kind?" he asked.

I shook my head. "The first of us: the original… six."

He gave a deep sigh and crossed his arms. He looked like how a pestered father might look if he had to give his son a special talk. As he wandered back to me, his arms still crossed, his face screwed into a look of reconcile, he gave another sigh. I was blindly optimistic, I suppose, because I had hoped that he had good news for me. I had ignored that distant look of regret in his eyes. "Well, I'd'a done thought you'd seen 'em."

I was confused. "W-what…? You don't—" I shook my head out of disbelief. "—you don't know where they are? You haven't seen them?" I took a brief pause; and now, I was rambling. "Because we were all separated and for weeks—almost a month—I've been looking for you all, and now that I've found you… it only makes sense that you'd be with them, but you're not—with them. Nothing's making sense anymore! You really haven't seen them?"

"Would you calm the fuck down and listen to me?" He sneered suddenly, leering at me with a threatening countenance. I held my tongue. He cleared his throat, "Look, I've seen them, alright?" he gave another sigh. "When I was first conscious about a month ago, like you said, the five of us were together. We stuck together and we started looking for you, because you were the only one missing. Xemnas kind of became our leader by default; he has really great instinct when you're lost. So the five of us start walking and we end up in this city—there was this boarded up house so we all got in and stayed there for a week or so. Then Xaldin says we better go and look for you quick, otherwise who knows what kinda trouble you can get into. This place was pretty dangerous and by the first day we'd been attacked like ten fucking times." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Xaldin takes off, says he wants to find you. Xemnas told him it was a bad idea, and we'd probably end up looking for him too—but he protested… said that we all needed to be together, and if we weren't gonna find you, he'd bring you to us. Lexaeus agreed too, so the two of them take off. Then, Vexen starts getting a bit crazy in the head, see? I dunno what happened with him but he totally lost it. One night, Xemnas up and leaves us too. I was confused because he was our leader, and there ain't been a leader that just jumped ship like that… so I left too. I found him and he told me that he needed to find answers… whatever. So I was alone by myself for a while until I found Xaldin—he told me that he'd lost Lexaeus. And by then I was all 'holy shit, we left Vexen alone, he's going crazy—and you _lost_ Lexaeus?' We were screwed—I knew if we'd'a just stayed put you'd find us eventually…"

He ended his story wistfully. The whole while I had listened, but I had no idea who these people were that he talked about… Xemnas? Xaldin? … who? I wanted to ask him—but the second I opened my mouth, I had realized that… as I had changed my name, and so had Xigbar before me, I realized that they might have done the same too. But one thing confused me: "Who's Xemnas?" I asked, bluntly.

Xigbar shrugged. "Xemnas… silver hair, tall, pale, godly 'I'm-gonna-get-you-and-your-mom-in-your-sleep' voice. You don't remember him?" For some reason he had tried his hardest not to use Xemnas' other's name—Xehanort. What I wanted to know, is why Xehanort's new name consisted of Ansem and an X. For all I knew of its spelling, it in no way possessed the same letters as Xehanort. It made no sense. In our final days, he despised Sir Ansem with deep hatred… so why would he take his name… like he was his father? Such hypocrisy sickened me to no end. Xigbar continued, interrupting my train of thought, "I haven't seen Lexaeus since, and I'm kinda worried. I wish I'd bump into him, but this world's much too dangerous to just go perusing around like I know where I'm going. The thing is, Vexen—"

"V… Vexen?" I stuttered. I know it was too soon to judge, but I had just remembered what Luxord had told me before I left. He said he'd heard of a Nobody named Vexen. This 'Vexen'… a Nobody so brilliant that even the lesser Nobodies talked about him… he had to be none other than Even! Who else could be as brilliant to have an effect on an idiot? I was suddenly filled with such… such joy… I couldn't explain… I couldn't fathom. But it was as if… I knew everything would be alright now. They were okay. They were all okay. The only reason they weren't being picked up on Saix's radars was because they were in hiding—but now I knew they were okay.

"Listen," Xigbar interrupted me, looking around frantically. "We've no time to talk, kid. Staying in one place too long is dangerous. We need to get out of here."

I nodded. Though I walked through this world like it was nothing, I understood the extreme dangers involved in it. It was a scary thing to walk around in the darkness like this, but I felt a bit better knowing that I wasn't alone. I wasn't alone, but… Vexen was. Suddenly, all I could think of then was Axel. Axel and a pair of burning chakrams formulating in his hands, being hurled towards a swirly-eyed, straggly-haired, desperate Vexen... a sad picture, if I do say so myself.

"I know a place we can go." I told him factually. When he looked towards me for inquiry, I turned and pointed to the moon in the distance. He seemed puzzled, which I found slightly amusing, so I continued. "If you follow Naught's Skyway, there's a castle behind the moon."

He followed my hand's trail to the sky. With a look of disbelief, he glanced at me and then laughed. I coped with his laughing for at least a minute longer, and when he was done amusing himself with the idea that there was a castle behind the moon, he gave me a comforting slap on the shoulder and chuckled, "Yeah, yeah _Zexion_—there's a castle beyond the moon. I see it now, I see it now…"

"You can't see it until you pass the moon. It's a safety mechanism. Saix—this Nobody—he created it." I told him, irritably. I turned back to the moon and crossed my arms. "I've been there since my arrival in this world. There are other intelligent Nobodies there as well—and you're partially right about getting out of here, otherwise we face a high risk of being _attacked_." I stared at him pointedly as I said that. He avoided my eyes indefinitely. He didn't even look remorseful for the fact that he tried to mutilate my being just moments ago.

"Fine, _Zexion_," Xigbar said in a huff. "We'll go to your _castle beyond the moon_—" he was mocking me; I knew it. Soon he began to sprint through the air like a madman towards the Skyway. I watched on in awe. It was amazing what kind of effects this world had on people… there were so many differences between Braig and Xigbar and so many fascinating similarities. I wondered; I knew I was different than Ienzo, but could I have really been that different? To differentiate between the two of us… what would one find?

He reached the Skyway before me. As I approached him by the cliff, I saw him freeze in his tracks. I was confused. Maybe he had been shot at from afar… I looked around frantically for the object of his demise, but I couldn't find anything even slightly threatening. We were at the edge of the world; where nothing falls into nothingness below the invisible Skyway. Perhaps that was what disturbed Xigbar… maybe he had intended to find a real Skyway. I approached him, ready to inform him of this fact, when… I saw it…

I saw him…

He wasn't facing me, but I could sense his bold aura. He was carrying what looked like a gigantic tomahawk. His hair; a fiery bolt of orange. He was that reckless brute I once knew as Elaeus… and now… he was Lexaeus. I remember him well now. A look of relief came to my face in an instant… it was amazing that I'd find so many of them so fast. I'd spent endless days looking for them, and now they were all showing up one by one. I wondered who was next.

I wanted to approach him. I knew the two of us weren't on that greatest of terms during our three years together, but I had grown to respect him as a scientist. And now, I needed him as a friend… I suppose. As soon as I took a step forward, Xigbar held out a hand to stop me. I glanced at him and he only shook his head at me. "Wait first." he whispered.

I had no idea why Xigbar became so skeptical of other's actions, but I could understand him a little. There were many dangers… but this was Lexaeus. We knew him, we spent three years in a lab with him… why would Xigbar question his motives?

I spoke up, "I don't understand—"

"Just wait." He interrupted me, sternly.

As if on cue, it seemed as though Lexaeus turned around from the edge of the Skyway to face us. His features were sullen, and if possible, he seemed paler than the last time I saw him. He had a look of shock upon his features. There even seemed to be shaking about his hands, so much so that he appeared to have dropped the tomahawk he was wielding. He waved a shaky hand at it, and it disappeared into the ground, as if the ground had swallowed it whole. Now, he stood before us, a trembling and nervous man.

Without warning, he began to walk towards us. Xigbar narrowed his eyes at him and held out his hand, where a gun arrow formulated instantly. My eyes went wide with confusion, as did Lexaeus'. "Wait—" he called to us from afar. "Xigbar, you crazy fucker—shoot me and you're dead!"

Lexaeus rushed up to us in a terrified manner, bracing himself with his arms in case Xigbar were to go mad at any second. The gun arrows, however, had disappeared and Xigbar was at least approachable for the time being. Lexaeus took one look at me, and his jaw dropped. He began to tremble even more so than he had before, except this time a smile crept its way to his lips. I returned it with a brief smile of my own, but honestly, what had him so shaken up like this? "Y-you're alive?" he asked me.

I gave something of a nod and a shrug in response. I was speechless. It never occurred to me that the same question I wanted to ask him was the same question he wanted to ask me. If I didn't think it was possible, Lexaeus embraced me in a subtle, but firm hug. I was taken aback—Lexaeus, even when he was Elaeus, was never one to show such personal feelings, but there he was, joyful in my return. These feelings… these simulated feelings… I missed them so much.

"What's gotten you all wound up?" Xigbar asked just as Lexaeus released me from his grasp.

It was as if the instant those words spilled from Xigbar's lips, Lexaeus went into a fit of hysterics. He seemed to choke on nothing more than air as he turned to the Skyway. He sounded panicked. "I was chasing them… there were two. I knew they were with us, but I couldn't see them well." He explained slowly. "So I get here… and they go off, dashing into the sky towards that moon up there. And now…" his voice was shaky as he continued. "A-and now… t-they're gone." He turned back to us instantly with a grave look upon his face.

"Oh shut it." Xigbar scoffed at him, pushing him aside. Lexaeus stumbled back as Xigbar headed towards the cliff. He bent down to feel at the ground, and sure enough, his hand passed right through the stagnant air. He cleared his throat. "Zexion, you sure the Skyway's here?"

I nodded and headed over, standing by the entrance. Lexaeus' legs allowed him to move for a bit longer as he stumbled over too. He gawked at me, and then towards the moon. He reminded me too much of myself when I was first forced to walk this Skyway. It was a dreadful experience, but after a while, it seemed as though you get used to walking on air.

I was, however, hoping their skepticism wouldn't hinder my return. I was eager to head back to the castle. I recall that I had previously stated that I would not return… but Lexaeus said those two were "with them". I could only assume he meant that they were one of us… I was ecstatic, but I didn't show it. It almost felt as though I'd forgotten how… but I desperately wanted to go up there and see for myself who they were. This sensation that overcame me seemed to be nothing short of my old passion… it was the same, but it no longer came from my heart. My being desperately wanted to go up there. I was hoping this Nobody Lexaeus saw was Vexen, as his current state of mind worried me also.

Nevertheless, things began to appear normal once more. And normalcy in a world of abnormality is a wonderful thing.

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Okay, so… as luck would have it, I wrote this with some bad cold/allergy attack XD;; So if anything sounds kinda screwed, my apologies once more :D Life just seems to be consecutively sucking these days. But oh well.

So yes. If you liked it, please please review:D I would love to hear any form of feedback. :D

New chapter soon :D


	10. Universus

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 10  
Universus

I led the way along the Skyway with Xigbar, his gun arrows raised to the level of his eye, and Lexaeus, his hands shaking a tremendous deal, following behind me. I tried to quicken my pace, but Lexaeus would shout at me from behind to slow down. All the while, he kept muttering the phrase 'I can't believe I'm walking on air'. Xigbar would flash him stern looks, and then presume staying alert on the way towards the moon.

We passed the moon with ease although Lexaeus would occasionally look back. He seemed much like a little child at that time. It was such a difference from when he was Elaeus; I could see in his eyes that something had changed. I could sense that a part of him had vanished into the abyss.

We reached the castle gates. Needless to say, the two of them were amazed at its architecture as I once was. They stared up at its marvellous arks and cascade of windows and floors. It was as if this castle had been built on more than one occasion, growing different every time. Lexaeus took a step forward as if he was gravitating towards the building in an odd manner. I followed him. I was resolved in returning to this building. I could definitely sense there was another being here… one familiar to me, but one that was not here before.

I was startled, however, to find… there was not one new scent...

…but two.

There were two.

My feet froze at the entrance. Lexaeus instantly thought for the worse and assumed there was something wrong, so he stopped as well, looking around frantically. Xigbar raised an eyebrow at me in a frustrated manner. I could tell I was trying his patience just then. But I didn't care… I couldn't… believe… there were really two other beings in there? Two other beings that, although foreign and unknown, I knew because I could sense that—that I'd met them before…

I could sense Xigbar talking to me from my side, but I couldn't understand his words. It was all a foreign language. All that went through my complex, scattered mind was regret… I shouldn't have left. If I'd just stayed, I'd find them… I'd find them all. … would I not?

Fate is a mysterious thing, in this sense. Who's to say that if I'd stayed that they'd show up? Perhaps if I hadn't left to begin with, they would have found somewhere else to go… and then again, if I'd stayed, I would've met those two but not Xigbar and Lexaeus. Would Xigbar try to attack someone else? Would he eventually find out about this castle? How long would that take? Weeks? Months? … years?

All I'd heard from Xigbar was "Zexion—", and then my feet took off running. I ran in a frivolous way towards the castle. I wouldn't stop running until I'd found who I was looking for—a familiar face, a fellow scientist from Radiant Garden. I knew they were here.

I'd rushed by a confused Luxord and a troupe of cards on the first floor, but the scent was nowhere to be found. It was strongest by the staircase—someone I had recognized went up this staircase. I raced up the stairs instantly not even doubting the direction in which I was going. Led by only my senses, I felt my way through the second floor with my eyes used only to find the doorways.

My feet slowed to a stop right outside of Saix's study.

I should've known from the beginning; Saix's study. Where else would they be?

I squinted a great deal as I slowly entered the room. My being felt as if it was on fire… that kind of passion… I never thought I'd even feel similar to it again. My chest rose and fell with every nervous breath I took. Even though then was not the time to be skeptical… I was nervous. I found myself nervous. What if they weren't there? What if this was all some kind of bizarre hoax? Nothing in this nonexistent world seemed concrete anyway. All of a sudden, my footsteps slowed to a complete stop by the doorway. I couldn't… face them.

What was wrong with me?

I took a deep breath and willed my once hasty feet to move forward, but they wouldn't. I was overcome with this sort of phantom emotion—and I say phantom, because emotions are obviously something I lack—some form of state that I felt… everything… but nothing at all. I was guilty, I was angry, I was anxious, I was nervous, I was nauseous, I was thrilled, I was sad, I was… and yet I wasn't. What… what the hell was wrong with me?

I felt Xigbar breathing down my back frantically after scrambling to catch up with me. He seemed to be growing more and more impatient as I refused to take a step closer into the room. Lexaeus appeared by me, poking his head curiously over mine and scanning the inside of the room cautiously. My breath was caught in my chest. I couldn't speak.

"_Excuse_ me." I glanced to my right to see a disgruntled Axel shoving past Lexaeus, who then seemed twice his size. Lexaeus proved immovable but Axel shoved by him anyway, ignoring his menacing glare fixated towards him. Xigbar seemed to have gotten a slight twinkle in his eye as Axel slithered past him; he clenched his fists firmly.

Saix suddenly appeared within my line of vision with his arms crossed. He approached Axel lackadaisically and gave a great sigh, though he didn't speak. This seemed to be typical for the both of them. Axel spoke first, his hands stuffed nonchalantly into his pockets. "I-I'm going out. So… if you want me to go anywhere… tell me now while I'm… feeling up to it."

Without taking his gaze off Axel, he pointed a strict finger towards his computer screen. He told him, "Detections in wards 5 and 6. If you want, there's ward 7."

"Whatever." Axel murmured and then turned on his heel to leave. He nearly bumped into me before he slithered by me—and straight into Lexaeus. Lexaeus was a deal taller than Axel but not enough to hover over him completely. Yet Axel still glared at him when he refused to move. With much aggravation, he shoved Lexaeus aside and ventured into the hallway. He definitely wasn't in such a good mood today.

Before I could say anything, I was being ushered inside by Xigbar. But—but I wasn't ready yet—that was all that went through my head. I tried to shut my eyes, but they wouldn't shut. I tried to open them, but they refused to fully open. I squinted, made sure to keep my eyes on the floor—

Suddenly there was a cough from the corner.

A violent, disturbing cough; one that could shake one's whole being.

It reminded me of when Demyx lay there, sick and unconscious, the night we found him. But that wasn't Demyx's coughing. It was a voice I'd heard before, but it definitely wasn't Demyx.

I turned slowly and opened my eyes. I spotted a man lying on one of the lounge sofas. His eyes were glazed over with sleep, but he still retained his gaze on me. I choked on my words, unable to speak. This man; long, locked hair pouring about his face, eyes that stopped you in their tracks, stolidity buried within his furry brow… this was—this was Xaldin… He stared at me piercingly. I didn't know what to say to him, but he looked as if he was waiting for an answer of some sort. What—did he expect me to apologize for abandoning them? I looked at him, trying to understand what was going through his head at that time. All my silent inquiries came back a blur.

I slowly approached him. When I reached his side, he sat up and gave another boisterous cough. I didn't know why I couldn't speak to him; I'd been looking for him and the others since I'd arrived here and now, it seemed as though I no longer cared about their existence! What _the hell_ was wrong with me?

"Ah—" Two large hands, clasped on my shoulders, instantly pulled me away. They spun me around to face their owner. I was in nothing short of shock when I'd recognized the voice, the eyes, this person's pale skin… he smiled at me; a smug smile, one that I'd seen often from him in our days of rivalry. I was inclined to return his smile, but only because I had remembered our pointless rivalries from when we were. How we would vie for Sir Ansem's attention… it all seemed so trivial now. He chuckled, haughtily, "—and you must be _Zexion_, am I right?" he asked me, eyes aglow faintly.

I stared at him.

"Yes." I answered abruptly. "… and you're Xemnas…?"

He only nodded in acknowledgement.

"Do you… still value our teacher?"

At this, his smug expression melted off his face, replaced by something more befitting of his previous character; stoic and passive. This was the Xemnas I so _fondly_ remembered. "What makes you think that?" he asked, sharply. I could tell he was growing angry with me.

But, as per usual, I didn't care. At this, I smiled at him. "No reason… _Xemnas_." I lied. Of course I lied! Is he seriously attempting to fool me out of spite? I know he and I wanted the attention of our teacher more than anything, and I know he and I turned against Sir Ansem as we all did! Did he really expect me to believe that he had no motives for taking on Sir Ansem's name rather than the name of his other? What was going on in his small, impudent mind anyway?

He removed his hands from my shoulders and seemed to be regretful of the warm embrace earlier. I was too focused on Xaldin that, when I first entered, I never even saw Xemnas. But now, he was emitting such a burning aura that I could be within five feet of him, and feel uneasy. I could feel his uncertainty. I turned away and approached Xaldin once more. "What happened to you?" I asked him. I was amazed that I was actually able to form proper words this time, since I was so 'star-struck' beforehand. I assumed my brief confrontation with Xemnas changed all that.

Xaldin gave another short cough, and held up a finger as he massaged his chest. "I think—" cough. "—toxins from Vexen's—" cough. "—experiment."

"Experiment?" I repeated. "What experiment?"

"He tried to get—" he gave another violent cough that might as well have shaken the room, and he continued, seemingly much more at ease than before. "—those dusks… uncover their true beings. I met up with him and tried to help him, but he disapproved and kicked me out."

Harsh.

"So then," he took a deep yet shaky breath. "I left on my way again trying to look for someone else, but the more I walked, the more I felt sick… I passed out."

Sad.

"Yes, it's the truth." Xemnas spoke up once more, as if we'd all been waiting to hear him speak. He had his arms crossed and was pacing around Saix's study with a look on his face that could've very well shown that he owned it. "I found dear Xaldin just by the Skyway here a day ago. He was unconscious, which I found rather odd for a Nobody. However, I took him with me back to this castle in order for him to get some rest."

"How did you know where it was?" I questioned him.

He flashed me a disturbed look, as if I was threatening his intelligence. His eyes seemed to shift about the room with a certain fondness and he drifted towards one of the walls. Touching it in an odd, reminiscent manner, he began to speak. "I… always knew where it was… dearest Zexion." At this, he snapped his attention on me fully. His eyes penetrated my being, which made for a most uncomfortable confrontation. His voice was sharp and low as he said this. But this, I remember boldly. He said to me, "I _built_ this castle… I built it."

I was completely taken aback. I could even hear Xigbar behind me murmuring a string of profanities, and Lexaeus attempting to compete with Xigbar's homily. I couldn't believe what he told me. He built this castle? But how? Those that are alive can't come to this world. How is it possible that Xemnas managed to infiltrate this world that doesn't exist and yet breathes within the realms of reality? Even as Xehanort, it posed an impossible task! What was he talking about? I was stuttering, uncertainty spilling from my words like water. "You… y-you built… this?"

"Yes." He answered me most abruptly, his eyes still refusing to look elsewhere. "I built it. I recall… I recall in dreams I used to come here." He gave a deep, burdened sigh. "I never used to know what this place was, but I'd come here. Every time I dreamt of this world, I would be building another part of this castle—whether it be another hallway, another floor or another room… slowly, over the course of a year, the castle would grow bigger. But… but—" he slammed his fist against the wall, provoking a glorious rumble. I was caught off balance and braced my feet securely on the floor as I heard him continue his speech. "—but the Heartless and those stupid, stupid Nobodies—they'd come here and ruin everything! All my hard work… disappearing. With each passing dream, my time for repair and construction would become shorter and shorter." He looked at Xaldin on the sofa, and then towards Xigbar and Lexaeus behind me. His eyes seemed to portray a hidden remorse or regret… as if his eyes were a chasm of secrets. I suppose that's all they could be since they were portals to nothing anymore.

His voice was grave. "I found that the more experimentation I underwent, the longer I would remain in this world of dreams—building this castle, protecting it from those who tried to harm it… I felt it was my duty. I opted for more experimentation." As he said this, he looked none of us in the eye. But I had caught on quite well; his greed, his need to build this castle was the reason we all inhabited it at that moment. I had no words for him. No, not even anything profane. Just… no words.

"I had made it to this world at last." He continued to explain. "Finally… I was one who lived amidst the twilight. I was amazed when I first arrived here because I didn't think this world really existed… in a sense, it doesn't. But I was relieved… I wanted to search for my castle, the castle I had built with my own hands. And now… now I'd found it." A creepy grin appeared on his face. It only disgusted me. He found resolve in finding this castle, whereas I found no resolve in it at all. Look what we had to become to achieve this; beings not whole, not existing... is it really worth it to have this castle in the sky?

"I admire Saix for protecting it for me while I was gone." He wandered over to Saix and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Saix didn't show any form of gratitude towards Xemnas, but he rarely showed anything similar to anyone else. Xemnas would settle for an unresponsive Saix, because it was the same as a 'you're welcome'.

Suddenly, before anyone else could utter another word, an annoyed Marluxia entered the study at once. His normally frivolous hair seemed to be radiating the anger that would've inhabited his eyes. I had no idea what got him so worked up, but I assume that he was somewhere on the other side of the wall when Xemnas pounded his fist against it. His chest rose and fell with every vigorous breath. "Who _touched_ the wall?" he snarled at us.

"Problem, Marluxia?" Saix asked him.

"Why yes, Saix." He replied, blatantly mocking his tone of voice. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and instantly turned on Xemnas. "Too wrapped up in your talk about the _keyblade_ again?"

The keyblade?

"Why haven't you been excommunicated yet?" Xemnas leered at him, crossing his arms. "Is that all you came to bitch about?"

"You wish!"

"The keyblade…?"

Xemnas turned to me at once. He smiled widely, as if this was something else he could teach me since I clearly had no knowledge on it. I hated the way he looked at me, as if I was some idiot. He began to preach in his high and mighty voice once more. "The keyblade… said to bring chaos and peace at the same time. The only weapon said to unlock a person's heart. A captive heart… these hearts, the heart of every world, of every soul… Kingdom Hearts." He looked at me, as if hoping that I would ask what Kingdom Hearts was. What the hell—I knew what it was! The heart of all worlds—Kingdom Hearts. It was inane for a scientist to call themselves as such, and not know what Kingdom Hearts was.

"I've found Saix to be most resourceful…" Xemnas turned to Saix once more and gave him another pat on the shoulder. Saix stayed unmoved but he did give a simple nod. "We've… well in lamest terms, we've been discussing terms to becoming whole."

"Becoming whole?" Suddenly, Marluxia seemed interested. I felt relieved for him because I knew of his intentions. He took a step forward. "I was wondering if it was possible, but I'd—I'd never come up with a proper hypothesis—"

"Well that's because you, my dear Marluxia, are a rookie." He gave a careless wave of his hand and dismissed Marluxia's inquiry. I could see the defeat lingering by his eyes, but he didn't show it. Xemnas continued in his carefree manner. "I wouldn't expect you to ever have a hypothesis. However, we've uncovered that if we were to become whole… the easiest way would be through the power of the keyblade."

"The power of the keyblade?" Xigbar repeated bluntly. "I'd'a thought to wield the, uh, the _keyblade_, you need to be the, uh… well, the _keyblade master_. And you know we ain't none of that."

At this, Xemnas gave us each a smug smile. I couldn't read this look. At that time, I knew he knew something… something forbidden. But he never once told us. In fact, all the previous knowledge I'm sure is second nature to you, we only found out about after our numbers had increased. About Ansem, his Heartless… but that's a different story. Nevertheless, Xemnas retained his smile and he told us. "There is a boy." And he grinned.

I hoped he wasn't indulging in some foreign fantasy.

"A boy?" Lexaeus repeated. "So what?"

"There is a boy who is the chosen one; he is the keyblade master." He told us, nodding. "If we somehow find this boy, this _keyblade master_, we can use him to fulfill our aspirations of becoming whole. This keyblade fuels the essence of Kingdom Hearts. If we can somehow channel the hearts set free by the keyblade, then we can direct them to our database and use them… we can become whole. Saix—" he turned to him instantly. "—I'm sure that's something you wouldn't mind looking into, of course."

"Naturally." Saix nodded in acknowledgement.

I must admit; Xemnas' idea about this _keyblade master_ was quite genius, but I was not willing on siding with him. I'd been led into destruction by him before, so I was skeptical. To me… it made no sense that Xemnas, whom I'd known to be most devious, would instantly trust Saix with such a task. I mean, here we stood—4 of his original 5 accomplices—and he wouldn't entrust us with such a task? Even though I wasn't fond of Xemnas in any way, he'd have sooner entrusted this task to me, as I'd known him longer.

"W-wait…" Marluxia began shakily, taking another step forward. Xemnas raised an eyebrow at him. "Xemnas… y-you mean to tell me that… w-we're going to _use_ this boy in order to become whole—?"

"Well _use_ would be an abnormal term, don't you think?" Xemnas spat quickly. He smiled. "Think of it as an unlikely partnership where the other will synonymously agree to said terms…"

Marluxia slowly, but surely, shook his head. I admired his bravery. Xemnas truly had inherited something special when he'd become a Nobody. He possessed something that no one could touch. But Marluxia… Marluxia was different. Only at that time could I understand Marluxia's internal conflict. He wanted to be whole. He wanted to be whole more than anything, to see his mother more than anything… but he'd been down this road before. He didn't want to use another being for his own selfish desires. Look what had happened to Demyx after all. Demyx, a soul that truly didn't belong here… and because of Marluxia… he wouldn't have anyone sharing in his mishaps ever again.

Xemnas was caught off guard by Marluxia's response. He looked slightly perturbed at the pink-haired man, and crossed his arms in a formidable manner. "So you disagree?" he questioned him. "You disagree—you don't _want_ to become whole—"

"I want to be whole again, but there must be some other way!" he argued with him.

Xemnas _gazed_ at him. His gaze, his discontent seemed to almost shake the room a slight bit. Even Xaldin on the sofa noticed and he slowly rose to his feet. Slowly, he trudged over to Xemnas' side and placed a hand on his shoulder as if to calm him. Xemnas gave a regretful sigh, as if we'd all wronged him in some way or another.

"Well what do you propose?" Saix spoke up, dropping his head to the side casually.

"You're _siding _with him?" Marluxia snapped at him, gesturing towards Xemnas. "You've just met him not more than a few days ago, and already you trust his motives? Why is it that you're only nervous about trusting us, and yet you'd trust this complete stranger?" he snarled angrily.

"I think that's enough out of you, flower boy." Xemnas spoke quite softly at most. A smile satisfyingly found its way to his lips, as he merely lifted a finger towards Marluxia. A pair of dark hands, or what have you, instantly formed and bound its way around Marluxia's neck as if to choke him. I stared on in awe as they hoisted him into the air by his neck. Marluxia held his breath and tried to pry the hands off him, but it was no use. The more Xemnas' maniacal smile grew, the tighter the bond was.

"Let—let him go, Xemnas." Xigbar spoke up, glancing at Marluxia cautiously. "There's no need for all of this—"

"Do you plan to kill him?" Saix shrugged in a carefree manner. "The boy can not die so easily, and we have work to do."

Gritting his teeth in defeat, Xemnas instantly dropped his arm to his side. The dark hands disappeared and Marluxia came crashing to the ground, coughing and sputtering incomprehensible speech. Xemnas turned and ignored him. My guess is that he was attempting to forget the defiance Marluxia had shown him. He was neutral with people who didn't care about his ideas, but he absolutely despised those that rebelled against him.

"Do you…" Neither of us had expected Marluxia to speak so soon after almost being choked to death. I turned to him and he slowly rose to his feet. I expected him to seem phased but he rose in an eloquent manner as if he wasn't just being strangled moments ago. With one hand on his neck, he spoke, breathily, "Do you really think your simplistic ideas will work?" This surely caught Xemnas' attention, though he refused to turn and face the angered Marluxia. "I suppose if we'd all left something behind in our others, yours was simply _good logic—_" and for good reason too, since no one seems to want to use it out here. "—because there's no way you could come up with that and still claim to be an intellectual!" He held his free hand out and instantly, a rather large scythe formed in it. Before I had time to run or even cover my head in confusion, he whirled it at our direction and—out burst a cascade of vines and branches. They began to swarm us, entomb us and bind us to the walls as if we were rogue plants. I had never felt so much restriction on my movement in my life. It was as if I was just a head—I could no longer feel anything else. … a perfect comparison, if I do say so myself.

"You will never understand!" he screamed at us. "Neither of you! Responsibility doesn't lie in the hands of the strong for a reason!" And with that… like a flustered girl, he stormed out of the study in a rage. I could hear his footsteps hounding the hallway, rushing down the stairs and out through the main gates… never to be seen or heard of for quite a while.

I wanted to tell him… I regret not telling him this: Responsibility may not lie in the hands of the strong, but it grows in the hands of the strong. For someone like him, whose hands nurtured a garden and knew what it meant to raise something that lives, I thought he would at least know this. I was wrong once more.

---

Ooooookay. :D

So, I hope everything up till now it at least moderately okay and it's moderately easy to follow. :D AND YES. I'm aware I keep saying that, but just… yeah whatever. XD I'm just wasting space. Lalala. :D

Review please:D Because. I live off reviews. And feedback is always good. :D … BY THE WAY. 'Universus' is Latin for 'Whole'.


	11. The Savage Nymph

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

---

Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 11  
The Savage Nymph

Xemnas was eccentric.

It was quite astonishing, to say the least, that he had changed so much. Something about him was clearly different. Comparing Xemnas to Xehanort, one could point out an array of differences. I would watch him in silence and say to myself such things as 'Xehanort would never say that so lightly' or 'there was never as much menace in Xehanort's voice'. It was as if the two were twins who were the same, but different, in every aspect. It was difficult to explain.

"You're quiet—as usual." Lexaeus loved to interrupt me when I was alone. Marluxia seemed to have disappeared completely—we could no longer even track him, which remained an inside joke between us for quite a while—and so I would often occupy the balcony where he kept his garden. I knew nothing about botany, so as the plants began to wither, all I could think of was how long a life they had lived… I didn't expect them to survive. Lexaeus, although he seemed to peruse the castle just looking for me, never took kindly to Marluxia's garden. He would enter the balcony and cringe as if someone had just threatened him with a knife. He would approach me, sigh, and comment with the same thing every day—that I was quiet, _as usual_. Well then, it's not much of a surprise, is it?—I so desperately wanted to snap in his face. But something kept me from doing it more often than I hoped.

"You're following me, as usual." I mumbled back at him, staring into the murky abyss now known as 'Dark City', one of the few areas mapped out in The World that Never Was. I managed to glance at the fiery-haired brute, giving him some acknowledgement. "Something bothering you, Lexaeus?"

"So you noticed." He grumbled—and then whipped out a cigarette.

Even in limbo, I couldn't be free of these tobacco-addicted idiots, could I?

"Put it away."

"I—huh?" he gawked at me, as if I'd just muttered something blasphemous. When I looked at him again and jutted a finger towards the flimsy cigarette in his hand, he quickly got the hint. Shoving the pack somewhere into his coat pocket, he flung the solitary cigarette over the balcony and sneered at me. "See? _That's_ what's bothering me!"

I turned to him. "What the hell are you even talking about?" I asked bluntly.

"That! That!" he cried, pointing an accusatory finger at me. My eyebrows raised in confusion as Lexaeus continued in his rage. "Now I'm not stupid, I know we're not whole and all that other shit—" at this, he ran a flustered hand through his hair. "—honestly, I know that—and so we've lost a part of ourselves in the process, it was a stupid mistake—whatever. But what really bothers me is how we're all so… so _weird _now!"

"Weird?"

"Like you—you _rarely_ talk back to anyone! Now, you're like a—a bitch or something!"

Excuse me?

"Xigbar's totally lost it—he attacks anything that walks, breathes, moves—or otherwise!" he continued. "Xaldin just _agrees_ with everything these days—he always had something to say about everything, but now, he just agrees no matter what the argument! And Xemnas—shit, he's the worst! He's crazy! The way he talks… he's insane, really. I know we all got kinda morphed up in the process and gained these extraordinary powers and whatnot, but he uses it on everything all the damn time! He's exploiting it! And now—now, he's pulling all these ideas out of his ass and he's just talking so much shit that it's unbearable! I mean—d'you hear what he said about the keyblade the other day? I mean does he really think that we can channel hearts released by the keyblade into our own database? Does he? He's just crazy, he's just talking shit, that's all…"

He'd completely turned into a blubbering idiot by the end of his speech, but I'd understood what he meant. I don't know if it was just the environment, or lack thereof, but it seemed that something was changing me into a different person altogether. I felt myself, but sometimes it seemed like the thoughts in my head weren't entirely my own… as if someone had put them there, and I was just to go along with them. The things that I used to care about: I no longer gave a shit about at all. It's saddening, but also enlightening at the same time. I was no longer a scientist, a creator, a destroyer, a Neves… I was a Nobody. Just… Nobody.

I left Lexaeus in his frustration at the balcony, and wandered aimlessly past the castle walls as a ghost would. Each day seemed to pass in silence. I often wondered why we were all here and what exactly we were to accomplish in this world. I knew Xemnas had many things to say about it, and so did Saix, but I just didn't see a point in any of it anymore. Was it worth it just to float by day after day like this? I found myself asking the same questions, and every day I found myself crossing Saix's study amidst Xemnas' lecture on how… well, what ever Xemnas thought, I wasn't necessarily a fan of. I just didn't see how this whole Kingdom Hearts thing was to work.

In a dazed and confused manner, Larxene suddenly stumbled out from a nearby room ahead and instantly spotted me in my gloom and glory. She eyed me cautiously and then trudged over to me slowly, with an expression to mirror my own. We both stood, eye-to-eye with each other for quite some time. It seemed as though her initial spark was being drawn out into something vulgar, and she suddenly became very unpleasant to be around. She said to me, "He's still not back."

Oh… and it had been days—weeks, almost—since we last saw him.

Axel.

Marluxia and Axel had both left on the same day, some odd weeks ago. The only difference between the two cases was that Marluxia left on his own accord, flustered and angered by Xemnas' ideas. We hadn't heard from Axel since he left Saix's study and I had even stopped sensing him altogether. I still felt as if nothing had happened to him. After all, someone like him who's just overflowing with resilience isn't so easy to dispose of. But Larxene was different. I could tell his absence was the cause for her sudden behavioural change. She became very tense and she seemed to emit some kind of burning aura, which in turn made others around her tense. I shifted my gaze away from hers and she instantly took a step forward, noticing my anxiety. "Saix won't say anything to me…" her voice was shaking. "I think he knows where he is, but he won't tell me. He thinks—h-he thinks he left on purpose… but if that was the case, he would've said something. He would've said something to me… at least."

I didn't know what to tell her. If anything, it was only then she sounded her age. She sounded afraid, lost—desperate and in need. Larxene was never one to reveal anything related to weakness. But now that her strength had left, she was left with nothing but… weakness. It was all she could show. "Zexion," she spoke up. "Zexion, I'll leave—I really will."

I looked at her and shrugged. "Go ahead, then."

She seemed to ignore my last comment. Twisting her eyes into a glare, she brushed past me. "I really will, you know." She crossed her arms, standing with her back towards me. "No one believes me. … w-why? Just because I'm younger than them all? Because I'm an irritable, stupid child? Well they can fuck off for all I care—I'm leaving and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me."

I turned to her—and she turned away from me. She was crying, wasn't she? I respected the fact that she didn't want me to see her in such a vulnerable state, so I pretended as if I didn't know. "Leave if you want. But you realize your chances of finding him are really, really slim." I crossed my arms as well. "You can run through the darkness with your hands in front of you as many times as you want, but if you can't see anything, it's pointless."

"Oh shut up." She snarled at me. "I'm not going alone. You're… coming too."

"Excuse me?" I questioned her. "I'm what?"

"You're coming, okay?" she took a deep breath. She whipped around to face me, fully composed, and tried her best persuasive glare on me. "You have to come with me. You're psychic or… some shit like that. Aren't you?"

Psychic? I'd never put it that way before… don't think I ever will either. I shook my head. "My abilities are anything but psychic, actually. I can—"

"You can pick up scents of different Nobodies, can't you?" she asked, her voice softening a bit. Her eyes softened a bit as well, and I could once again see the lost child from before. She looked away, and then towards me once more, nervously. "And… and depending on how strong a scent is, you can tell how close they are… and _how_… they are… can't you?"

"Yes. And?"

"And—" she continued, testily. "—if a scent is fading, that more than usually shows that… the Nobody is… is _disappearing_, aren't they?"

I was confused and most of all flustered by her vague questions. So without thinking, I shrugged my shoulders and sighed, irritably, "Yes it does, Larxene. So what?"

She bit her tongue. "Is he dead?"

I looked at her. She didn't look directly at me… and once again, I had no idea what to say to her. I mean, I knew what I would tell her, but it just didn't seem like I had a right to say anything just then. I was always so insensitive when it came to feelings and I had hardly realized what an impact Axel's disappearance was having on her.

"Is he…?" she asked again, this time in a brisk manner. She was trying to conceal her sadness; I knew it. She really shouldn't have. She was much more appealing when she admitted to the fact that she missed being able to feel.

I shook my head 'no' in an instant. I couldn't possibly describe the look of shock that swept over her face. It quickly morphed into sadness—nothing but pure sadness. I could see her bottom lip trembling. I could tell she wanted to cry so much, but she wouldn't dare it. She was really an emotional wreck. I felt… pretty horrible, as it were. I'd been a bit selfish lately… maybe Lexaeus was right, maybe we were all changing so slowly that we didn't even realize it. For the first time in a long, long while, I actually seemed to be worried for Larxene. She wasn't taking this the right way at all; not as if there was a right way to take it.

"Xemnas is such a bitch." I heard her mutter under her breath. She gave a feeble sniff and looked at me. "Don't you think? I mean, he just shows up one day, claims he built this place—which I still believe is a clear-cut lie—and then acts as if he's God or something. He reminds me of Saix, but now that Saix is completely whipped, I don't think I value his opinion anymore. Him and Xemnas are both—"

"If you don't mind," At that second, I cursed myself for even talking to Larxene outside of Saix's study. I knew something bad was bound to come from it. I glanced over to the doorway to see a perturbed Saix standing with his arms crossed, scanning us both awkwardly. He cleared his throat, looking specifically towards Larxene. "We have important matters to discuss inside, and you're welcome to join us… however, we can't have you talking so loudly right outside."

"Who's we?" Larxene sneered at him. "You and your boyfriend?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're so whipped."

"What?"

"Uh—" I interjected nervously. I took a hold of Larxene's arm and attempted to lead her away from the angered Saix, but her feet were like lead across concrete; she refused to move. "—wouldn't want to interrupt your useless babble on the keyblade—" Did I just say that? "—so we'll just be leaving."

"Zexion, our conversation misses a mind like yours."

I looked at Saix. I was a bit angered at the fact that he told me that… I was living perfectly as a Nobody. I wanted to remain a Nobody. I didn't need him reminding me of a life that failed. I didn't know what to tell him. I wasn't about to agree with him and enter his study as Zexion, the scholar. No… I was past those delusional ideas. What do I care about the keyblade? What good do I see in… Marluxia even… I don't know… I just didn't wanna think about any of it. A part of me really wanted to be whole, but the other part scolded my other half—telling me there was nothing left for me on the other side. In a way it was true… but I wanted to see for myself. I wanted to see it for myself.

There was a loud crash downstairs.

Larxene shook free of my grasp and rushed to the end of the hall to get a view off the balcony. I was sure if she'd seen anything she would've flung herself over the balcony within seconds, but she stayed, frantically searching her view of the bottom levels. Saix poked his head out of the doorway and I took a slow step down the hall. And that's when it happened—

I froze.

He… was here.

_Him_.

I could sense him. … the both of them.

The castle seemed to echo with every step he took towards the staircase, a swirl of fire and ice engulfing the house in a fragrant scent. It was the scent of… resolve. Finally. … _finally._

A shiver flew down my spine and I shook violently as if someone had just shoved me from behind, knocking the wind out of me completely. Saix took a step forward towards me but I waved him away with what energy I had left—I collapsed. My arms and legs were so heavy and I didn't feel like I could lift them on my own. _He_ was heading towards the staircase faster now, and it seemed as though with every quickened step _he_ took, I was sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. I gave up trying to move. Larxene glanced back at me, but not before I felt myself being picked up and carried into Saix's study.

"Put me down." I groaned, restlessly.

"I wasn't planning on carrying you around anyway." It was Luxord. I didn't expect him to be in Saix's study, conversing with them about this whole keyblade matter. I suppose it was more universal than I thought. He set me down by one of the lounge chairs. My vision was blurred, but I noticed Xemnas sitting some ways away from me. I could feel his gaze upon me. It was something I couldn't ignore, even in borderline unconsciousness.

Whatever followed seemed like a blur… Larxene screamed and began to talk, yell—really loudly—at _him_ out in the hallway. I couldn't make out a decent word she was saying, but I could sense _him_ walking closer and closer to the doorway. I held my head up the best I could to see if I could catch a glimpse of him—_finally_—for the first time since I'd come here…

But as soon as he took but one step in the doorway, I was pulled from the lounge chair. "Dear God—" I heard Luxord say as I was hurled from the chair and slung over _someone's_ shoulder. It was Xaldin—and my head was buried in his locks of hair. I wasn't taking too well to the fact that they were treating me like a rag doll, but I have a feeling that if I were to stand on my own, I might collapse again. But how did I get so weak? What was going on anyway?

"Put me down." I groaned once more, pounding against Xaldin's massive back. He was either doing his best to ignore me or he really seemed concerned in the welfare of our visitors. He took a few steps forward to the lounge chair, on which I was once lying comfortably, and leaned over, nearly dropping me in the process. Oh how I wish he had.

"What did you do to him?" Larxene shrieked at _him_. I struggled to get away from Xaldin—what happened? Was someone injured? What was going on? "Hey, and you better not be lying either—"

"I assure you, miss, I found him this way." _He_ replied.

An indescribable feeling swept its way over me. It was such an immense sensation… to be able to hear his voice again.

_Him… _Vexen.

I thought he'd died, he'd disappeared, he'd went mad and perished in a city of dusks—I'd always thought for the worst. But now hearing his voice—even if Xaldin was blocking my way—made everything seem… okay. It was the closest, most familiar sense of 'okay' that I'd felt since I'd arrived in this world. It was as if the world was once again renewed, even if we weren't technically a part of it. The six of us were together again… different beings, but our souls were together.

"Found him, my ass, bitch!" Larxene snapped at him, once more. "I wouldn't mind splitting you in half—and then I can just lie about it say I fucking _found_ you that way!"

"Larxene, that's quite enough." I heard Xemnas' voice. "I know this man from when we used to live in Radiant Garden, and I assure you, he's not a pathological liar, as you claim." There was a light chuckle. "Saix, examine him, please."

"Examine who?" I managed to croak. "Put me down, I want to see." I tapped Xaldin on the back once more and he reluctantly set me down on my own two, shaky feet. It took me a moment to stabilize myself. I didn't even bother to think of how this whole dizzy spell came about. Instead, I looked on towards the sofa, my breath held in my chest.

It was Axel… the palest I'd ever seen him, the frailest I believe he'd ever been… his burning red hair was damp and clung to his face in a feverish manner. He was breathing, as I'd seen from the subtle rise and fall of his chest, but I'd say it wouldn't have been much longer before he was 'gone'. I glanced at Larxene, who looked as if she was ready to rip Vexen into pieces; if I were smart, I wouldn't tell her.

I bent down by the side of the sofa, and placed a hand on Axel's forehead. He was cold; frozen cold. I shuddered. That wasn't right by any means.

"He's sick." Saix spoke up from beside me. I didn't even notice him standing there, but I looked up and over my shoulder, and there he was. His arms were crossed and his face showed its usual disposition; calm, collected… removed. "He's fine, he just needs proper rest—"

"But what happened?" I asked him. "His breathing is unstable, he's frozen cold and he's as close to death as—"

"_What?_"

I shouldn't have said that.

Larxene came rushing over and flung me aside… like a rag doll. I was sick of being thrown around like a rucksack but I wouldn't argue with her. I knew how much she'd been worried about him after all. I ignored how I went crashing into Saix's feet, I ignored the look he gave me and I ignored how thoroughly angered he looked as he lent me a hand and pulled me up.

I got to my feet in a shaky manner once more and felt my eyes gravitate towards Vexen. He stood taller than I'd remembered he was, his dirty blond hair falling about his face in an unearthly manner. There were wrinkles on his face that I swore weren't there before, nor could I lead myself to believe actually belonged there—he wasn't that old, if I remember correctly. He and Xemnas used to be the same age, which was the one of many sparks for their constant bartering at each other's throats. Unless there was some kind of aging defect present in this world that I was unaware of.

Larxene was bawling uncontrollably into Axel's chest like a child would. I was surprised to find that there were actual tears coming from her eyes… the look on Saix's face showed that he was shocked too. If she didn't have a heart, what was she 'feeling' that made her cry? And where did the tears come from? …what made the tears fall?

I had to admit that it had been a while since I'd seen actual tears. I felt a bit stupid and much like a child because I was thoroughly surprised at how they fell gracefully down her cheeks, how they seemed like endless rivers carving paths down her face… how they would make her eyes shimmer… as if she had a heart, a heart that was breaking and bleeding with pain and sorrow.

It made me feel like I had a heart.

This was as close to _feeling_… as I'd ever been for a while.

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Next chapter soon. :D

Ummmm. Oh. Yes, so. :D If you happen to even be skimming through this chapter, I'd really appreciate a review! ;; I'm always interested in hearing what people have to say.

ALSO. I realize it's been a while :D I commend you for still reading this, I suppose, since school... and everything... yep. :D I hope a few people are still interested, yes? No? ... either way. :D


	12. Disappearance

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 12  
Disappearance

Axel remained sick for days following his return and Vexen's arrival. It appeared that, even when he was young, he suffered from an extremely dysfunctional immune system. The slightest change in environment or sleeping patterns could make him sick, often mildly and rarely gravely sick. At times I would go and see him in Saix's study, and he appeared to be feeling much better. But then within a day, he seemed as if he'd just awoken from unconsciousness and was too weak to even breathe. Larxene spent an unhealthy amount of time in Saix's study, nursing Axel back to a level of stability and, for the first time, sitting in on Xemnas' lectures. She had been so against them prior to Axel's return, but it seemed as though with each passing day, she seemed to warm up to Xemnas' ideas about the keyblade. I couldn't believe it. It was like a cult.

I didn't have time to be worrying about what Xemnas was coming up with, although now looking back on it… I probably should have made an attempt to care. They were in the midst of an important discovery and I now wish I had been a part of it.

Since I had not yet adapted to this 'keyblade cult', I was underhandedly being shunned at every second of the day. Demyx would only stop to talk to me sometimes, Lexaeus would no longer bother me when he was feeling uneasy—instead, those were things that were only shared with the _group_, with the _Organization_. I found it funny that they had actually formed a group behind my back, as it were, but what I didn't know is that they were actually anticipating my joining the group any day soon.

Vexen found me one day. The two of us had hardly talked since he showed up, but I remember that day, we talked as if we'd been together all along. He'd been preoccupied with the Organization meetings and constructing his own laboratory in the lower levels of the castle—which seemed to grow and blossom overnight—that he'd never had a chance to talk to me, or so he claimed.

"Luxord informed me that on the night I came back, you seemingly collapsed, correct?" he asked me. I nodded in agreement and he crossed his arms, his face showing all signs of deep thought being provoked. "I can only assume that you collapsed due to your ability to _sense_ other beings. Listen here," he cleared his throat. "I think you may have tapped into some kind of psyche, another dimension perhaps. The fact that we are all creatures that live and act on our own accord—without hearts, but driven by our souls—is a very powerful notion: don't forget that. It's not to say that I was a strong force that provoked your collapsing, but the fact that I was a new force, one without a heart, and that you were tapping into some form of a hidden chasm—quite possibly my mind. Understand?"

"Yes." I answered him, edgily. I didn't mean for it to sound so threatening, but that was the way it came out. Oddly enough, I felt no remorse over it. "I understand perfectly fine."

He raised an eyebrow at me, sensing my mild hostility. "Since when did you get so edgy about things?"

I looked at him. "I know that the reason you're here is to persuade me to join your Organization; it has nothing to do with me collapsing that day. I appreciate your concern in telling me, but I don't believe Xemnas has mentioned anything worthwhile in that room and definitely nothing worth my time." I seemed to have hit a nerve with him when I said that, because I noticed the corners of his mouth twitching in an odd manner.

"Well I think that's where you're wrong." Vexen nodded, sternly. "Xemnas is someone we've known for a very long time. How could you even doubt his motives? When did you become so skeptical?"

"When did you lose your ability to—to… to think?" My voice was shaky as I said that. I desperately wanted to mean it, but I just couldn't come to terms with myself. When did he lose the ability to think? When did _I _lose the ability to think? We were one in the same, the both of us. I sighed, "Well," I tried my hardest not to contradict myself but it was hard. I was a jumble of confusion just then. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to continue talking to him. I all of a sudden didn't feel like talking to anyone. "Xemnas was always on… a different level than all of us. But that doesn't mean it was a higher level."

"That's not true—we were all equals in Sir Ansem's pitiful eyes." He gave a smirk as he said this.

I laughed. I didn't believe he was actually serious. That was the most generalized… dumbass statement I'd ever heard from his mouth. Equals? He laughed too, in thinking that I laughed because I shared in his joke. Hardly the case. "Were we?" I shrugged. "If Vexen says so, I might have to agree with him because he wasn't there. But I tell you; that's not something Even would stand for. He'd never stand for such a lie from himself."

Vexen's entire countenance just sunk. It sunk at such a fast rate that it seemed like he'd never been jovial just a moment ago. He glowered at me, but I refused to falter. In the back of my mind, I was still doubting that it was me who even spoke those words… but something told me to just go with it. A voice told me in my head that this was just who I was now, and I just had to live with it. But I didn't see a reason for living in this manner—it just made my whole search for my original six friends the more pointless. Did I find them just to bitch them out? I was confused, but I at least knew that that wasn't the reason.

"Mentioning my other's name…" came Vexen's stone cold reply. His teeth were chattering. "Well then I take it you must have a good reason."

My insides were shaking. But why? I felt like I knew what I was doing, but something told me that I was just being argumentative for no reason. Why did it feel like there were two people fighting in my head? Was it because I was technically two people? Did that really have anything to do with anything? I figured by then I'd properly made the transition from Ienzo to Zexion—it had been close to four months after all—or possibly longer. How long had I really been here? And if this was transitory, then why was Zexion such a bitch? Ienzo wasn't a bitch. Why couldn't there be some sort of common ground?

I was interrupted by Larxene's voice, loud and clear through Saix's study. "He's passed out again! Demyx!"

Within an instant, Demyx came rushing down the staircase and down the hall towards us with a jug of water. He stopped, short of breath, by me. "Did I miss anything?" I gave him a confused look. I had no idea what he was talking about.

But then I heard Vexen reply: "Xemnas and Xigbar are talking. I take it if you're not interested in the military form of our plan, then you'd best steer clear."

He wasn't talking to me? Then why did he stop directly in front of me? I was about to question him, but before I could open my mouth, he had rushed into the study with the jug. He was ignoring me. He was flat out ignoring me. I couldn't believe it. Just because I didn't share in their crackpot, brainless ideas—they were ignoring me.

Vexen read my distraught look quickly, and he smiled at me, very coyly, like he was just waiting to tell me something I didn't need to hear. "There's always room for one more." He said to me, with his same taunting smile. "Xemnas saved a spot especially for you, because he knows how passionate you can be about things once you decide on them—"

"I'd rather direct my passions toward something more productive, thank you."

"As if becoming whole isn't productive enough—"

"Not in the stupid way you're doing it. Last time I checked, you and _Xemnas_ were neck-and-neck with each other at everything. When did you begin to consider yourself an underling?"

"Not an underling, but an associate—"

"If that's what you call it."

"I know he won't admit to it, but he needs you—we all do—it was the six of us together. Remember—?"

"Now it's like a pimp and his five whores."

"I know better than to argue with you. I know eventually you'll come around for the same reasons—"

"If I did, they'd be actual reasons, mind you. Not… _because Xemnas said so_." I glared at him. "But don't count on it any time soon."

If I knew I was going to contradict myself, I wouldn't have said that. But at the rate in which I was changing… fuck, I was like a prepubescent boy trying to figure out my sexual orientation! I'd sit and wait for it all to end, but when I began to feel at a state of normalcy, suddenly I'd begin to say things that I didn't mean—think things that I'd never think of… it was frustrating, annoying—the more Vexen and the others bothered me to join their _Organization_, the more angry I got at them—but the more I would think about it…

It had been a week since my confrontation with Vexen. Axel was slowly approaching some stability, but I begged to differ since he was beginning to agree with Xemnas and his floozy ideas. Marluxia still had not returned, and for some reason, _no one cared_… I'd found a moment to question Demyx about him, and he couldn't even remember who I was talking about for a good portion of the conversation. I was convinced Xemnas was brainwashing them. He never did like people who disagreed with him, but this was just too much. They all went along with Xemnas' ideas because he was _Xemnas_… they wouldn't question him, or suggest anything—they were fucking drones! I'd even heard a few of them call him _The Superior_ while I wasn't looking, as if I couldn't assume that it was Xemnas they were talking about. Sometimes when I'd use his name, I'd get shifty looks from them—because _The Superior_ didn't like being addressed that way—oh, fucking hell. Sometimes I even felt like joining that stupid Organization just to be able to question everything they bring up—because we all know _The Superior _wouldn't like that.

Life, or what have you, at the Castle That Never Was became more and more stressful as the days passed. I spent an unhealthy amount of time at Marluxia's balcony. The plants had died and were now sinking slowly into the soil as fertilizer. I felt isolated and alone, but whenever I looked at the dying plants, it seemed to give me some kind of resolve. I couldn't explain the sensation, but I felt at ease around these dead plants.

"So this is where you camp out away from everyone, huh?"

I hadn't really expected anyone to find me up here—let alone Axel of all people. I looked over my shoulder as he approached me, a slight limp in his step. He couldn't walk straight, nor could he stand straight without help. He leaned against the side of the wall, and smirked at me. "You really can't stand Xemnas that much?"

"Not him, just his ideas." I scoffed, indignantly. "I don't know when he got so simplistic in his approaches."

"The stuff he's saying isn't so simplistic, you know." He told me.

For some reason, hearing those words from Axel made me feel a bit better. He wasn't one to agree with things he didn't believe. I was content in knowing they weren't all being brainwashed like I thought. "You're not here to recruit me for the group are you?"

He laughed. "Hell no. But I heard about Vexen's whole conscription plan; it's pretty intense." He gave a heavy sigh, and leaned over on the railing, clasping it with shaky hands. I could tell he wasn't well yet. I had no idea how he even managed to sneak out of Saix's study without Larxene tailing him with a pillow. Hopefully I wouldn't be held accounted for him passing out—that would just add to the fact that I should join the Organization.

"Don't—" I began to speak, but I almost wished I hadn't. I didn't really know what I was going to ask him… but he looked towards me anyway with anticipating eyes. I wanted to bite my tongue, to forget that I even wanted to say anything, but I couldn't. It had puzzled me only a slight deal that Axel always remained sick, sometimes on the brink of death… and yet he never died.

… I mean, technically, he couldn't die. He couldn't die, but he couldn't live… so what was keeping him here? I'd always wondered why it was possible that he could fall into unconsciousness, and then wake up as if everything was okay. I was highly interested in what he _felt_ like during this time, but I didn't know how to go about asking him as such. Axel and I were alike in many ways, but there was something that kept us apart—and it was one solitary difference. His instability was something that distanced us both more than we could ever comprehend.

I wasn't going to ask him just yet, unless my subconscious unanimously decided that I should. I cleared my throat. "Uh—don't… don't you think Larxene's gonna be worried about you?" Not that he, or I, really cared. But for the sake of conversation…

"Larxene? No." he answered with a nonchalant shrug. "She thinks she has an obligation to look after me, but she doesn't. You know, right? I took care of her when she first got here, so now she thinks she owes me or something."

"Oh."

"I thought I told her it didn't matter, but I think I was half-asleep when I said that."

"Oh."

"What's wrong with you?" I wasn't expecting to be questioned, so I kind of gave him this disturbed look. His expression mirrored my own, and I suppose he had more of a reason to be confused than I did. My curiosity was eating away at my soul… Why was it such a big deal? Why couldn't I ask him?

"Me?" I repeated, slowly. He nodded. I felt as if I was just buying time, because I really didn't want to ask him… "Um—" I cleared my throat again. "—it's just… I've been wondering why… you aren't dead yet…" I didn't feel relieved at all that I'd finally gotten to ask him—because honestly, it'd been gnawing at my skin for quite a while—instead, uneasiness plagued my being.

He stared at me. I was pretty sure if he had any energy whatsoever, he would've rearranged my face with that chakram of his. I was desperate to rephrase what I just said. Axel and I weren't the best of friends, so I definitely didn't want to get on his bad side.

"Why I haven't disappeared?" He interrupted my train of thought. I expected him to be angry that I asked him that, but he wasn't. On the contrary, he was quite _normal… _depending on what normal was. "Because I don't want to." He replied.

What?

Because…

"Because you don't want to?" I asked, bluntly.

That was the most nonsensical thing I'd _ever_ heard—and that's saying a lot.

"What do you mean _because you don't want to_?" I asked again. "That—" doesn't make any sense. "—is… an interesting concept—" filled with bullshit. "—Uh—how does it work?"

Axel raised an eyebrow at me, and his mouth hung open as if he couldn't believe I just asked him that. "Uh," he stuttered, nervously. "Well… we don't have hearts."

I rolled my eyes. "I know that."

"Yeah well, because we don't have hearts, we can't live or die." He said. "Xemnas was just talking about this yesterday—" he stopped a moment. He could sense I was gonna say something. I admit, as soon as he mentioned Xemnas, I knew he was trying to preach to me. But he told me, "—this has nothing to do with the Organization. I'm not saying you should've been there… but if you were, you wouldn't be asking me this question."

"Likewise." I rolled my eyes once more.

He shrugged. "We're only empty vessels with souls, right? But our souls are strong; that's why we exist in the state we exist in, and we're not some mindless dusks. Once our souls cease to be their strong selves, we disappear. Once they give up, we disappear."

"Once our souls give up?" I questioned aloud. Usually, I'd repeat things over and over in my head until I made some sense of it. But there was just no making sense of this one. "But—how can they just give up? Is it a sporadic decision?"

"Well because we can think, we have the ability to decide whether or not we want to give up."

I looked at him. "And… this was all discussed yesterday?"

"All of it."

I didn't wanna believe it. I didn't want to believe that Xemnas had anything to do with such free thinking…

Xemnas; who prided himself in…

Maybe… he was changing too. Maybe he and the Xehanort of my past… maybe they were two different people after all. Completely two different people: not a mix of the two. But two different people _completely._

"Axel," I began, almost at once. "Don't you ever think it's… it's unfulfilling?"

"You ask too much questions, kid." He looked at me. "Just like when I first met you." He sighed, "Do you mean… about our souls giving up?"

"Yes." I replied. "The way I see it… we never do get a real funeral." At this, I smiled a little. It was a stupid thing to think of, but that was something that everyone took for granted. I'd never once thought of it until now, until Axel became deathly sick. He would never really die; just fade away, as if he was never born, never grew up… never existed.

The thought alone… was enough to drive one mad.

I suppose that's what happened to me. During that time, I hardly call what I was doing 'thinking', because it was so farfetched. I was simply, positively... ultimately _mad._

What's the point, you would ask yourself? Why were you even born? Were you just a substitute for someone else… someone greater? Well—were you born just to fade into nothingness? How could you even go about telling someone that their fate was to just disappear?

I became angered considerably faster this time. This was something I couldn't let go so easily.

I couldn't be around the others any longer. For some reason, the more I observed them, the more pointless their talks seemed. Becoming whole? What the fuck for? Just to alter destiny and live a life that you weren't meant to live? If we were meant to exist, then this stupid accident would've never happened and I'd still be in Radiant Garden—if I were meant to exist, then I would be in Briggs right now. …

I was going crazy. I remember as the days passed, I became more and more cynical towards every aspect of my _life _here. I saw no point in looking for intelligent Nobodies anymore. I saw no point in caring about Marluxia's return. After all, once they all decided that they didn't wanna exist anymore, they'd all disappear and we'd be written off in the books of history as _nothing_.

I didn't… want to live.

No—not even exist in this sad state.

I don't know…

…

I walked Naught's Skyway often during my times of confusion. I often came to that place when I needed to brood over things. In the days of the past, Demyx would join me, but he was too preoccupied now. It didn't bother me, because I'd wanted to be alone.

I was afraid. I was afraid of perishing alone… or… or was I? What was I afraid of? Living? Dying? Disappearing?

No—that's not possible! Me? Afraid? Of what? I didn't know what fear was anymore. To even emulate human feelings seemed stupid. I wouldn't even bother. There was no point. There was no point to anything.

I wanted to give up.

I was ready to give up…

That night… and I remember this well.

I stood at the Skyway, walking slowly. My legs were shaking, my head was pounding… my palms were sweaty, my eyes felt as if they'd roll back in my head at any second. But I remember I wanted to do this. My body felt compelled to this action… and I needed to do this.

I walked left… slowly, towards the left. My breathing was uneven. I could hear Axel's voice in my head, from when I first met him, when he told me… about this invisible Skyway.

The barriers were unknown, weren't they?

My feet continued to move. I admit at a time I had willed them to stop, but I wouldn't even listen to myself. I needed this for my own good. I was going crazy and I needed to be set straight.

I remember falling.

I was falling fast into the deep abyss below the Skyway. I recall laughing because I had actually succeeded in walking off the edge of the Skyway. They didn't lie about its boundaries, and for that I was greatful. I was greatful they didn't lie to me. However, as I fell deeper and deeper to my doom, I realized that as I was pointless, this abyss was _endless_. I'd be falling for all of eternity.

The pressure against my limbs was enough to snap them into pieces. It felt like another person was lying on top of me, pushing me further down into nothing… it was—painful. Very painful.

"I'm ready to give up." I kept saying to myself. I kept repeating it over and over—hoping that I'd just drop into unconsciousness and my dear soul would leave my worthless body. But why wasn't my soul listening? I was absolutely ready to give up, to die, to disappear right then and there—but every time I opened my eyes… I was still falling. Falling, falling, falling… would I really be this way forever? Was there really no end to this stupid gorge?

I began to scream in hopes that I'd choke, my lungs would compress with the pressure—and I'd pass out. But still: no luck. This would take longer than I thought.

I closed my eyes. I wanted to cry, just like Larxene, but I couldn't… maybe because she was crying for a reason, and I had nothing to cry for but myself. _My worthless self._ I shook my head, though the pressure against my neck was starting to hurt. I wasn't ready to give up. I wasn't ready to disappear like this—I didn't _want_ to disappear.

I wanted a funeral; a proper, nicely decorated funeral in a church or a graveyard. I didn't care how I died, but I just wanted a funeral. I wanted my family there, although I knew they wouldn't come… but I could imagine them being there. If I had a wife, I wanted her there. If I had children, I wanted them there as well. I wanted everyone to tell stories of when I was alive, whether they were good or bad stories—I didn't care, I wanted to hear them all. I wanted… my six friends from Radiant Garden to be there. I saw them in my mind sitting at the front. I also saw Axel, and Saix… Demyx, Luxord, Larxene… Marluxia, too. I saw them all there, at my funeral.

There aren't funerals for those who disappeared.

I began to scream.

It was the first time I seriously felt that I wanted to… be whole. I could sense something pounding in my chest, something dying to be heard… to be acknowledged… it had been there all along, that _desire_ to carry on. Why hadn't I listened to it before?

This wasn't me. This wasn't who I was. I wasn't the kind of person to look for the easy way out, to die in such a shameful manner. I wanted more for myself. I deserved more… I deserved a funeral at least.

I wanted to die with dignity. That was why I ultimately agreed to join the Organization in the end.

I agreed to join because I wanted to die; not disappear.

---

The whole souls giving up theory: pure speculation. XD I tried to think of something that would make sense for the majority of the Organization when they died, and that seemed to be the closest. All the other things related to them having a heart, so they didn't work out so well. :D

Thanks for reading! Please review… if you got this far, you might as well. :D Yep. :D

New chapter soon. :D


	13. XIII

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 13  
XIII

He had a proposition that he knew Xemnas would agree to.

He was smart, and he was able to name his price to avoid a bidding war. Despite the fact that he had been missing for quite a while, and left on a bad note too, he'd come back with more than a pot of gold. It was everything Xemnas and his crazy clan of fools had been hoping for. I'm not sure how something like this had fallen into their hands so easily, but I expect it was the reason they had supposedly taken Marluxia back with such wide, open arms. Although he was Number XI, Xemnas had supposedly held him in the highest esteem.

I began to cough voraciously. It felt as though I would begin to cough up blood any second soon, but I doubt I really had any _blood_ left. I was leaned over the cliff, my legs weakened, my arms weakened, my body sore… and I was choking on nothing. I supposed it was because my lungs had contracted and retracted at such a fast pace. A dizzy spell worked its way over me and within seconds, I was out cold on the ground, my leg hanging off the cliff, threatening to pull me down with it.

I was _never_ going to do that again.

I suppose it would be vital to explain what happened to me in my state of realization, while I was falling to my 'doom'. It was a power I never realized I had because, really, where would one find the time to experiment with it? My eyes were shut, and in my time of desperation, when I realized that there was no way I'd be able to stop falling and climb back up, I began to dream that I could fly… and that I was flying high above the Castle, high in the midst of the dark lingering above us called _the sky_. Then suddenly—I grew wings. I couldn't really explain it, but when I peeked open from the corners of my eyes, I could see a massive wingspan of dark, accented feathers. … needless to say, I freaked out. It was the first time in a long, _long_ time that I seriously freaked out. I had managed to control my falling by balancing quite oddly on the wind underneath my wings, but the fact that I _grew wings_ and I _was technically flying_ wasn't settling in quite well.

I began to analyze the situation: how did this happen? Is my imagination some form of galactic… _chasm_ that… and… nothing made sense. As I floated my way through the abyss to land on a rocky and very unstable ledge some ways down, I realized that to analyze this situation was pointless. It was something that Ienzo would see a point in, but as Zexion, I'd been here long enough to know that there was nothing I could do about it. As I arrived at the ledge, I'd spent not but a second to glance at my feet—only to make sure I was properly rested—before I realized that I had bird legs… and my body was smaller than usual, and feathery.

Without thinking too much on it, I had deduced in all of approximately an hour's time that I had transformed into a _bird_, I was some form of shape-shifter and I wasn't aware of it before because there was no opportunity to explore this power. If it turned out to be wrong, I wouldn't care, but I was willing to stick with that reason for the time being. I didn't want to brood over the situation any longer, especially when I was miles underneath the castle in a dark abyss, with only the pale glow of the castle above to guide me. I'd done too much thinking lately and it was getting me nowhere. Maybe Vexen was right about my mind; that I could tap into some foreign dimension. Were my thoughts really that powerful? Or was it my soul…? Was it my soul that saved me from perishing? Was it my soul that wanted to fly?

Well. It took what I figure to be a few days to get out of the gorge below the castle. I had fallen farther down than I'd ever imagined was possible. It wasn't just a matter of sucking up what courage I could fake and fly up to the top, ignoring my blatant suicide attempt and proclaiming my love for Xemnas and his Organization… fuck no. I had no idea how to fly! At one point I became extremely frustrated and willed my wings to turn back into arms. I attempted to climb up the wall, which failed, and resulted in a thirty-or-so foot drop onto another plank. For the first day or so, I never once thought to equate flying with swimming, but that was what saved me. Although I made for an awkward looking bird, I did manage to get to the top of the cliff in one piece and regain my former shape.

After I had passed out, I remember waking up in a fairly large room that resembled a study. However, it wasn't Saix's famed study; it was _The Organization's _study. This Castle, which seemed to bloom and blossom overnight, grew substantially larger while I was gone. There were now more than five floors, over a dozen staircases, and three basement floors as well, one of which belonged to Vexen entirely. Each member of the Organization received their own quarters in the Castle, a number pertaining to their rank and a chair in the Organization Meeting Room. Travelling through the dark realm via teleportation also became highly popular while I was gone, which only made me question the staircases. Nevertheless, I was surprised to find that I had my own quarters—conveniently located by Vexen's—a rank of VI that was higher than I'd expected it to be, and a chair… a grand chair in the Meeting Room between Lexaeus and Saix. It was as if they were just mocking me with my return.

I overheard Marluxia's homily as I sat up in a shaky manner. I suppose no one had expected me to gain consciousness so soon, because I noticed a few heads turn; Xigbar even turned and grinned at me. From what I could see somewhere in the distance, there was a large metal table that just screamed 'I-don't-belong-here'. On this table—lay a boy. He seemed frail and dazed, and I suppose that either had something to do with Marluxia or this world itself.

I turned to my left. Demyx was sitting on the arm of the chair, jaw hanging at Marluxia's confessional. I wanted to ask him how I got here—and what exactly they were talking about—but before I could utter a word, Marluxia held a protective arm towards the boy in the corner. He said, in an icy cold voice, one that I wasn't aware he had, "It's my deal or no deal, Xemnas. Indefinite rank in the Organization—or you do not receive the boy."

A look of pure aggravation graced Xemnas' tired features, and he gave a roll of his eyes. I knew what he was thinking: how could someone like him have to side with someone like Marluxia? Not that there was anything wrong with Marluxia, but the two of them were really on separate ground. "By indefinite rank, you mean what?" he asked, coyly, with a slight, sarcastic smile. "You will be given a place in the Organization for as long as needed _if_ you give me the boy—and the girl."

The girl? What girl? I poked my eyes around the room, but there was no one else new besides the unconscious boy on the table. Marluxia growled at Xemnas, "You can't have both."

"Neither can you." He spat back at him. "Marluxia, I laughed at the thought but now it seems all too probable that you would have had something _special_ for the girl… it makes sense seeing as though we are all heartless and yet you always appear to be the one speaking out against our becoming whole. Perhaps you aren't one of us—"

"If I wasn't, what interest would I have in this?" he asked, his voice rising.

"You were against it before." Xaldin spoke up, causing us all to turn our stiff necks towards him. He gave a feeble shrug. "Times have changed, haven't they, Marluxia? Or are you planning to just join and work your way up for no reason?"

"What are you saying?" he snarled at him.

"I'm saying—" Xaldin continued pointedly. "I'm saying that what if he can't use the keyblade—what if this is all a hoax? How can we trust you? You can't just waltz in here and call the shots like we know you—"

"You don't believe me?" Marluxia seemed to find this amusing to a certain extent. He gave what seemed like a forced and haughty laugh, and then wandered over to the table by the unconscious child. "Well then I suppose I can take my keyblade wielder elsewhere—"

"What I'm saying, Marluxia," Xaldin spoke up again, this time louder. "is how is it possible that this boy is a keyblade wielder when the _real_ keyblade wielder is still alive? The legend speaks of only one! If you're to say that they are one in the same, then how can they both exist separately?"

"Like I'd fucking know, Xaldin." Marluxia called over his shoulder. "But I'm telling you, he _is_ a keyblade wielder—I _saw_ him with it! With two, in fact! And—"

Xemnas rose his hand quickly, and the room instantly fell into silence. It was amazing how his effect over the group was growing bolder and bolder still. He rose to his feet and turned to face Marluxia, arms crossed sternly across his chest. "I'll try to simplify this for you. You will remain in the Organization until the boy awakens. Then, he is to use the keyblade and we are to judge whether or not he's not a plant or one of your creations. If the latter's the case, you will be removed from the Organization and terminated. In the mean time, you may keep the girl while our dearest Vexen prepares his testing on her. If she is of use to us, then she is no longer yours and will be moved to the appropriate quarters in the castle. Any objections?" The way he asked that was more or less rhetorical, as he assumed the answer was 'no'.

Marluxia shook his head. Smart man.

Xemnas broke into a smile. It was quite odd to see him so 'jovial' or what have you, because he'd never been this way before. I knew he was pretending, but it almost seemed as though he could see victory at the end of the road… and that soon we'd become whole.

"Welcome to the Organization… _Number XI… _and Zexion," I hadn't expected him to even acknowledge me in the back, but he did. It was as if the Red Sea was parting; everyone in front of me moved aside so I had a clear view of Xemnas in his black robe at the front of the room. His smile was taunting… I hated it. "_Number__VI_… so glad you came around."

I offered a brief smile to him. I doubt he would understand my reasons.

The boy.

The boy's name was Roxas and it turned out that he was a keyblade wielder and was, in fact… the Nobody of the real keyblade master. When Vexen revealed this news to us, it's safe to say I wasn't the only one shocked. Everyone was a bit sceptical and suspected everyone from Marluxia to Vexen: how could the keyblade master have a Nobody? He became a Heartless? When? Where? As our speculations rose, Xemnas would comfort us in saying that 'this was all his other's work' and that we should be patient. I could see the confusion I had mirrored that of Xigbar's, Xaldin's, Vexen's, even Lexaeus'… he'd been working on other things, planning other things while we were all in Radiant Garden and he never told us? What a conniving little bastard.

There's really no need in me mentioning this, but as you can suspect, Roxas' affiliation with the keyblade led him straight into the Organization care of Xemnas. He became Number XIII, finalizing our numbers for the time being. He was young and seemingly naïve, so he believed almost everything Xemnas drilled into his head. Every week the story changed. One day, he'd be informing Roxas that it was his job to fuel the Organization's Kingdom Hearts, and other days he'd be telling him that the keyblade was an evil tool… one could never tell which side Xemnas was really on, but I have to admit he played the field quite well.

Much to everyone's surprise—and Larxene's dismay—Roxas became very attached to a certain redhead… Axel. Axel had always been one to talk to the newcomers as if he knew them, and then slowly forget about them as they disintegrated into the mainstream. But it was different with Roxas. I suppose he understood the confusion Roxas was going through—_or something_. I really couldn't understand their relationship or connection in anyway. But I relate it often to that of Luxord's and mine; we got along decently although we were two different people entirely. It was unexplainable.

"I doubt he even remembers who I am." She often said in a huff; Larxene, that is. Now that Axel was off 'ignoring her', or so she assumed, she'd been accompanying me to my trips down to the labs for no apparent reason. She only sat in my chair, scattering my notes and complaining for hours. "Now," she mumbled through gritted teeth. "It's always Roxas, Roxas, Roxas… God, is he fucking kidding me? After all I did for him?"

I could only shrug in response. I don't pretend to understand the female mind.

"And oh, that Roxas," she groaned. "I'd love to mount his head on my wall. I don't care if he's a keyblade wielder. I'm sure there are much less degrading ways to becoming whole that I'd much rather go through than have to rely on him."

I flashed her a disturbed look, but she only glared at me. I never mentioned it before, but I always found it interesting how Larxene always seemed to emulate human feelings as if it was second nature to her. The rest of us had gone along with the fact that we couldn't feel, and although we couldn't stand being so empty, we weren't perfect in pretending we could still differentiate between happiness and utter _joy_. Yet Larxene sounded as any young girl would and she often acted like any young girl, albeit a little cynical, but a girl nonetheless. I sometimes wondered what discoveries I could make about why she was so different from us if she became my research specimen. Was it because she was female? Or maybe this was a psychological defect from her tormented childhood?

"Larxene, you're—" Being unreasonable; I wanted to say. But for some reason, I couldn't seem to bring myself to fully believe it. Was she being unreasonable? Or was this normal behaviour, and I'd strayed away from it too long to recognize it? I sighed, "Uh—you're… taking this the wrong way…"

"Oh?" Larxene inquired, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is there a certain way to take it? Enlighten me."

I rolled my eyes. "I think Axel knows how important Roxas is to the Organization… don't doubt for a second he isn't thinking about himself."

She only glared at me. Somehow… as if to say, 'I can't believe you told me that'… but not. Yet she made sure to retain her fearless gaze on me, as if she'd sooner tie me up than give me a second glance.

"Oh yeah?" she finally spoke. "Well. … if he plays me like this again, I'll make sure I take his head too."

Also adding to Larxene's torment was _the girl_, which we'd called her for weeks on end, test after test. Larxene was used to being the only girl amongst all of us. Even though the girl didn't seem like competition in anyway at all, Larxene often complained there was too much estrogen in the castle these days. I had no idea what she was even talking about. It just sounded like jealousy to me. She really was an interesting specimen.

Every weekly meeting at _The Organization Meeting Room_, Vexen would brief us on his new discoveries about _the girl_… and that was about all we did at the weekly meetings. Really. Joining the Organization didn't seem like such a bed of roses anymore.

"Well she, like Roxas, has no recollection of her past life." He told us, reading from his spreadsheet, spectacles at the bridge of his nose. "When inquired about what she used to be or when she used to be, she only says she remembers… Roxas, although she also claims to have never really met him. She mentions she wants to meet him very often." He paused and lifted his eyes over to Roxas at the end of our distorted semi-circle. When we expected him to speak, he refused and only held his lackadaisical gaze on Roxas moments longer. "Have you met her before?" he finally drawled.

"No." Roxas shook his head. "But it's… well, at least I don't think I have."

"Make up your mind, child."

"I feel like I know who she is, but I've never met her before." He told Vexen, nonchalantly. "I don't even know what she looks like."

"Strange, because she drew a portrait of you that matched your features exactly." Vexen mumbled, hurriedly, as he flipped another page from his notebook. "While on that note, the subject draws a lot and many of her drawings seem to be premonitions or past occurrences. Former deductions show that she is a psychic or some otherworldly being. However, she has no heart at the same time, and is a Nobody. Can she be both? Any opinions?"

"Yeah," Demyx spoke up. "I think if she seems to be of any use to us, she should have her own quarters in the castle. What do you think?"

I think—that was the most random response to one of Vexen's drabbles ever. I doubt the bubbly blond was even paying any sort of attention to what was going on. He rarely did. I envied him, though, because he at least had his water figures to play with—until Vexen froze them all one day, along with Demyx—but whenever I was bored and felt like dozing off, I'd have to hope my hair could cover my face well enough.

Vexen blinked at his odd response. "W-well… I agree, but I didn't ask—"

"Uh, why?" Likewise, Marluxia interrupted. It's a well-known fact that ever since the girl arrived, she had been staying with Marluxia—and it's no surprise that he'd probably been toying with her in the process. And who would ever want to give up their sex toy, hmm?

"Why not?" Xemnas shrugged. The room went silent after his response, as it usually did, but this time no one dared to question him.

I glanced at Marluxia. He looked slightly disgruntled and horribly, _horribly_ put out. Xemnas seemed to ignore his slight annoyance, and sat up straight for once during that entire meeting. Though he called them frequently, he never once looked happy to be there. Well, not happy in the traditional sense, but he gave off the most irritated vibe possible. Lexaeus once offered to suggest that maybe it was Demyx's dancing water figures that often multiplied and retreated to dancing around our feet that pissed him off; he was excommunicated for a week and sent on missions with Xigbar for an entire month, which is enough to cause anyone repentance.

"Any opinions, Superior?" Vexen turned to him, now setting his book on his lap. "How much use do you think she'll be to us?"

"More than you think, my dear Vexen." Xemnas replied. He gave a short, but awkward smile, "Remember those six, silly scientists from Radiant Garden?" he asked, looking at the first six of us with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. I really just wanted to forget, but he wouldn't let me. No one would fucking let me forget. I guess it wasn't that easy to just change your identity, forgetting about your past… in that sense, both Roxas and _the girl_ were lucky.

"Vexen," Xemnas began, and then he turned towards me. "Zexion, as well; I would like for the two of you to conduct the first experiments our others formulated… I would like you to conduct them on her."

"But Superior, sir," Xigbar held up a hand, and cleared his throat. He too sat up and tried to blink the sleep from his eyes. "If you don't mind me saying—those experiments were related to the matters of the heart, so we know they won't be of much help to us."

"Not entirely, but they do attempt to unlock memories." Xemnas smiled once more. "And that could be some use to both Roxas and the girl." At this, he turned his freakishly odd smile towards Roxas, who, quite bravely, looked away.

I desperately wished I knew what Xemnas was thinking. It seemed as though our Organization was anything but organized, as our own leader planned things behind our backs and conducted experiments without telling us. And it seemed as though there was nothing but frustration reaping its way through my being because I'd realized that this wasn't an _organization_ at all… it really was Xemnas, and his whores. He was just using us to carry out his brainless plans. I was being used, we were all being used… but what could we do? What could I do? Becoming a member of the Organization meant nothing to me, and I'd leave any time, but I had my own reasons for joining and staying… if Xemnas' plans succeeded, I'd be there to reap the successes no matter what my involvement in them.

But if he failed…

…then what?

---

Yay. :D

So… new chapter soon. :D One thing I really wanted to mention, which you might've already found out, but whatever I like to talk—since this story is in Zexion's point-of-view, it's kind of obvious that he doesn't know everything that goes on. What ever he mentions is all he knows, but keep in mind that he doesn't know everything. :D Okay? Okay.

Of course that doesn't mean that I'm going to exclude things on his behalf. They'll show up, sometime, but it's not going to be a documentary or anything :D;;

ALSO. (No, I'm not rambling XD) Um… without ruining anything, I'm just gonna say that… _there will be motives under the initial actions. _… :D That's all.

Thanks for reading! Review please:D


	14. Artist of Destiny

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

---

Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 14  
Artist of Destiny

Vexen waltzed over with a large brew of memory-inducing solution and set it down on the table in front of the girl. Though I stood next to her, he didn't even bother to look up at me or acknowledge my presence in any way. I wouldn't blame him, however. We'd been down in the laboratories for days following the last Organization meeting. According to The Superior… and I still felt uneasy calling him that, but it was a requirement. He was no longer our equal; he was our Superior. I didn't agree… but I'd given up pretending to care that anything even bothered me anymore. Nevertheless, he told Vexen and I that, eventually, the girl's memory will be recovered. Neither of us believed him. If that was the case, then his other's memory would've been restored as easily as hers—and it wasn't. Xehanort's memory was never recovered.

"I'll go check with Superior." Vexen told me, quite airily. He gave a slight cough and glanced back at the girl, his hair falling unevenly about his shoulders. He asked her, "You aren't going to drink it? Superior's orders, you know."

She looked up at him, pale and bright-eyed, like a child. It appeared that she and Roxas possessed the same fickle innocence, but unlike Roxas, she wasn't willing to let it go just yet. She glanced at the drink in front of her and slowly pushed it away. I could see the wrinkles deepening themselves in Vexen's forehead and he looked away, pretending not to notice. "Do you not fear what you should, young girl?"

"I fear nothing. I don't know how."

Her words were sincere and she meant well, but Vexen wasn't taking anything lightly. He found it an insult on his intelligence. I think he found it an insult on his position too. He was, after all, _Number IV_. He grumbled, "You'd best learn the ways of the castle, child. You are not in any way a member of this Organization, therefore, my word is as good as Marluxia's, if not better. Zexion," he turned to me sharply. "Deal with this." And with that, he took a broad step back and disappeared into the dark realm.

I walked around to Vexen's workstation where he was mixing compounds just moments ago. He seemed to be getting lazier as the days passed. Maybe he saw, as I did, that these solutions and experiments weren't doing anything. I couldn't help but think that Xemnas was just keeping us here to pass time, and that he knew these experiments were pointless. Lately, I'd been doing nothing but questioning Xemnas' motives. For some reason, I thoroughly believed that he didn't intend to carry out his plans with all of us in tact.

"When will I get to see him?"

I'd been engulfed in my thinking, as usual, that I hardly even heard her speak. Her voice was timid, definitely not intimidating in any way, but there was something concrete in the way she spoke. I turned to face her and she held up a sketchpad underneath her chin. Her arms were shaking slightly as she peered at me, her eyes filled with innocence. My eyes slowly dropped to the paper to see a stunning image… of Roxas.

"How did you draw that so fast?" I asked her. I have no idea why that was even the first thing that came to mind. It was an elaborate sketch, so if she told me that she'd drawn it just then, I don't think I would have believed her. … but that wasn't relevant at all.

"Soon?" she mumbled, setting down the picture on the table. She appeared to be ignoring my previous comment. "If… well, I don't mean to be rude, sir," she lowered her head, timidly. "But I… I really want to see him."

I looked at her. She was such a child in every way… I couldn't imagine that her experiences, however cruel, with Marluxia hadn't ruined her completely. … I'd give it a week. A week, and she'd been tainted. It happened to all of us. Neither of us were quite the same as our others after all. Speaking of others… I was extremely curious. Probably more than one would expect from me. But I wanted to learn more about the girl's other, and Roxas' as well… the keyblade boy. We were given a brief explanation on how they were created; born from each other's hearts, and so on. None of it really mattered to me. What intrigued me the most was that neither Roxas nor the girl remembered their past selves.

"Do you…" I began, slowly. "Well, do you remember anything about your other self?"

"What I should have?" she inquired. "An other self; something I should have… c-correct?"

I nodded. "You have one. You're a Nobody, so you have to have an other. Do you know anything about her? Do you remember anything about her?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing at all? Not even what she looks like?"

"I…" she paused and reached once more for her sketchbook. I took a step closer and peered at her as she scribbled quickly across the page. "It's rough." She added and then flipped her sketch around to reveal a truly rough sketch… of a boy. Eyes much like Roxas', but there was something happy about them. Something lively. Before I could speak, before I could question her about where this all came from, she told me. "He's all I remember. He's… he's the keyblade master, isn't he?"

"Yes." I told her. "But he's not your other—"

"I knew him." She said to me. "When I was whole, I knew him… I think I did. Because I feel like I grew up with him… and Roxas." She set down the sketchpad and resorted to a downcast look towards her fingers. Her whole being really revolved around Roxas, didn't it? I felt as if I should be sympathetic towards her and ask Roxas to come see her… but sympathy was something I couldn't even emulate. I knew what the word meant, but it meant nothing to me any longer.

"What's your name?" I asked her, crossing my arms.

She looked at me, at first, as if I was crazy. I won't ever forget that look. It was like she couldn't believe I just asked her that. I suspected that no one had ever asked her what her name was—not even Marluxia, albeit. Nevertheless, she answered me, more or less as if she'd never once uttered her name to another soul. "Namine." She said.

"Namine…?"

"Namine? So that's her name…" I wasn't necessarily sure if sharing information with younger members in the Organization was against the code, and it never once crossed my mind that it was. Before The Superior gave us our rankings, we were all as lost and confused as the next person. But for some reason, hearing Roxas recite those very words made it seem as though I shouldn't have mentioned her to him. For one reason or another, The Superior had forbidden Roxas from seeing Namine, and vice versa. He wouldn't tell us why. I inquired about this a few times and the only reply I got was from Xaldin, who told me with a very patient tone, 'Zexion… we don't question The Superior'.

I cleared my throat, startling the blond's ideas and dreams. "Remember what Superior said." That was about as much warning as I was willing to give him.

"But—" he started, anxiously. "But… I really wanna see her—"

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you just can't." I wasn't a fan of repeating myself for clarity's sake, but it only made sense then. Roxas rolled his eyes and flew back into his chair, a pile of teenage angst. I suppose I could've attempted to understand what he was going through, but it was completely out of my control. If I knew Superior's plans, it would've been different. If I knew why he wanted to keep them apart, it would've been different. But I didn't know. Neither of us did.

I was summoned to the meeting room later that night. The other members were already seated at their positions: Vexen, with a list of notes; Saix, as monotonous as usual; Demyx, giving me his usual 'we'll be in for a long one this time' look… but I could sense someone else's gaze on me. As I floated my way over to my seat, I noticed Axel stare at me far longer than necessary. When I turned to look at him, he looked away, as if he'd gotten all that was possible out of me.

The Superior rose his hand, meaning he was about to speak and the meeting would commence. He scanned the bright, crystal room adequately as his eyes fell dully upon the thirteenth chair in the room; empty, vacant… without a member. He smirked, loftily, "Larxene, where is Roxas?" he asked her, turning his piercing eyes upon her.

She crossed her arms. "Like I'd _know_… sir." She spoke through gritted teeth. If it was not The Superior that addressed her, I supposed she would've went into a bout of theatrics about Roxas' whereabouts.

"Well has anyone seen our beloved?" he asked, looking around at the remainder of us. Neither of us gave anything related to a response, not even Axel. The patience waned from The Superior's tone and he instantly turned on us like a pack of wolves. "This meeting cannot begin without every single member—where the hell is he?" he snapped at us. As his voice rose, so the room did shake. "Axel—" he turned on him instantly. "Where is Number XIII?"

"Around, I suppose." He answered with a simple shrug.

It seemed as though a hidden catacomb within Xemnas' eyes suddenly went ablaze. He leaned towards him with all audacity, and he said, his voice shaky and stern, yet nothing more than a whisper… he hissed at him: "We had a deal. _You were supposed to keep an eye on him._"

Larxene slowly but surely turned to face him past Marluxia's bush of rosy hair, her expression mirroring—Demyx's. For one reason or another, I wasn't surprised to find out that it was Xemnas' plan for Axel to keep Roxas 'content'. I knew it couldn't have been a true friendship: one, there was no such thing for us anymore, and two, this is Axel we're talking about. Axel had always been indifferent towards everyone, so why would Roxas be any different? I doubt there was anyone who could come along and change Axel for the better, not even Larxene—as much as she probably hoped.

"Yeah, I know." Axel told him, quite edgily. "_My apologies_. Last I saw he was with Zexion, and I figured since that kid had a pretty good head on his shoulders, he would've known not to lose him."

Without a second thought, The Superior reared his head towards me. Though we were a considerable amount of people apart, I could still feel the rage he possessed. It was as if it was locked deep inside of him, but he no longer knew how to unlock it. I suppose it was like that for all us Nobodies; we couldn't feel, but we still remembered how. That memory was all we had left.

Before The Superior could give me a decent verbal lashing, a dark portal opened up instantly at the centre of the room and out stepped a timid Roxas, brushing aside his hair and scurrying to his seat as if he hadn't just entered late and we hadn't just been fuming about his disappearance. He took his seat amiably, and even offered a brief smile at The Superior in good nature. The room was silent. The Superior seemed so angry and he didn't look as if he even had the capacity to speak just then.

"Number XIII, explain." Xigbar spoke up for him. He narrowed his eyes at him menacingly. Quite threatening.

"Uh, I was…" Roxas stuttered briefly, eyes darting around the room. "I was… wondering." Another pause. Xemnas' eyebrows seemed to be in a twitching frenzy just then. He looked like he would explode at any second. "I was wondering what my whole purpose was… in the Organization… guess I lost track of time, that's all." He gave a feeble shrug. I could sense it was a lie. It was an obvious, blatant lie. But Roxas knew what to say to Superior to get him thinking about other things. He was a very smart child.

Xemnas' eyebrows refrained from twitching, but the anger buried in his eyes refused to let out. "Your _purpose_?" he repeated, haughtily. "Why… Number XIII—Roxas, you're… much more important to the Organization than you seem to know."

"As in a keyblade wielder." He said, casually. "As in… I'm supposed to be the saving light for the Organization. Is that it?"

Xemnas didn't seem phased by this at all. He sighed, and gave Roxas a look that he often gave me: one that just screamed 'I clearly know more than you. Let me demonstrate'. He told him, "You're downgrading your status. You say 'I'm the saving light' as if it means nothing to you. You realize with the power you possess, we've already transcended another level of research. We're well on our way to becoming whole… the Heartless projects are going quite well, I assume. You mustn't look at this as if it is all for nothing."

"Superior, sir." Saix rose his hand. He had been neutral the whole time, so I hadn't the slightest idea what would provoke him to speak up. He rarely did. Whenever he had something to say, it was never a good thing. When Xemnas looked in his direction, their eyes locked for a moment, and he nodded towards him. Saix spoke first. "We'll talk afterwards. It's about the Kingdom Hearts project."

I rolled my eyes. Once again, more secrets were concealed in the open. Typical. I didn't realize I said anything, but something like "How secret is it that the Organization can't even hear it at the Organization Meeting, hmm?" slipped its way out of my mouth just then.

Lexaeus beside me sneered at me a great deal, as if I'd just mumbled something blasphemous. Xigbar even turned to glare at me from his seat, a glare bleeding with hatred. Hatred? Why? He wasn't being told any secrets either. Why should he hate me for asking what he wanted to know? Why was everyone turning against me all of a sudden? The only one of the younger Organization members who dared to look at me—as if I was some supreme being they couldn't look at—was Saix, who only raised an eyebrow at my odd behaviour.

"Zexion." Xemnas' voice was loud and sifted its way through my ears like water between bricks. I looked at him, attempting to give him my full attention. He smiled at me, but it was one of hatred once more. _Hatred_. If anything, that was one thing that set us Nobodies apart from real humans. We couldn't fix our _emotions_, as we had none. We flipped back and forth between extremes because we couldn't control it; we understood the difference between happiness and anger, but we no longer knew how to portray it adequately. I'd noticed this the most in Xemnas.

"Yes, Superior?" I replied.

"Zexion, I can't help but think that you have something against secrecy." He told me with a wrinkle of his nose.

"Secrecy in a public meeting makes no sense, sir. Why call us all here to talk about something you won't tell us?" I inquired. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these endeavours to become whole was something to be shared amongst The Organization. So why is it that when it comes to this specific project, you can't tell us anything?"

Xemnas laughed. His laughing didn't faze me in the way he might've hoped, but I was sick of his mockery. He had too many secrets; it was driving him mad. "Zexion, my dearest apprentice—"

Excuse me?

"You are much too judgemental." He said with a chuckle. "What Saix finds important rarely ever is, especially to the lot of us. We would brief over it and then address it formally to the group when it is deemed relevant. For now, pay it no mind. Hmm?"

I gave a stiff nod in his favour, and tossed my hair out of my eyes. Another lie. I could sense the scent of failure amidst his being. He was lying too much. What he and Saix would talk about… it was important. It was the very reason for our ultimate downfall. And yet he didn't find it important enough to tell us…

I won't bother with it now. What I know, you will find out soon. Therefore, _pay it no mind, hmm?_

Brushing our previous debates aside, Xemnas had finally decided to bring up what the meeting would address. We were to _seize_ a castle, a second, one entitled Castle Oblivion. Xemnas had revealed to us all that Namine did indeed have profound powers. She had an uncertain link to the keyblade wielder and his memories, and so that concept alone was to be the basis of the castle… a castle of memories. The plan was never fully explained to us, but he told us that he hoped to lure the keyblade wielder there for certain purposes. 'Once he is done with Ansem', he told us. Neither of us knew what he meant by that, but we went along with it, blindly. He told us that Namine would be moved to Oblivion and she would be the so-called _Queen of the Castle_, with Marluxia as her _King_. Neither one of the Organization members liked the fact that Marluxia was to be in charge of Castle Oblivion. Many protested, but Xemnas wouldn't listen. Some of us believed that he still felt as if he owed Marluxia something for bringing him Roxas. I personally couldn't care less. I was often caught up in debates like this: should Marluxia be given full responsibility of Oblivion? I don't know; don't care either.

"Some like Luxord, especially Luxord, are taking this the wrong way." Xigbar informed me one day after the announcement was made. The two of us sat in the presence of The Superior for an 'evening' chat. Evening, afternoon—whatever it was, we couldn't tell. But the Superior demanded company for at least a few good hours of each day. Vexen had renounced my help in the laboratories, as he was becoming ever cynical down there, and Xigbar had come back early from a mission with Roxas with nothing else to pass time with. "I don't know, Superior… maybe you oughta given the Castle to someone else—"

"Don't be stupid, Xigbar." Xemnas drawled, lazily. He sighed, "I have given Marluxia full rights to Castle Oblivion. I have given him a mission, a castle as keepsake…" a pause. "… but I never once intended him to succeed. Know this, at least." He gave a careless shrug and melted away into his own world.

I was appalled. Not expecting him to succeed? What? How could he say that about one of his own? Were we not all the same? If he planned to do this with Marluxia, who's to say he's not planning it with us all? He's waiting for our failure, isn't he? Once more, I couldn't keep quiet. "Do you expect him to fail first and then all of us second? Is that it?"

Xigbar groaned and rolled his eyes at me. "You can never shut your face, can you?"

I ignored him and turned back to Xemnas. "Is it, Superior?"

Xemnas only smiled, quite serenely. "Oh, no, no, no." He laughed lightly. And that was all he said to us.

As the days passed, I felt uneasy being around these people. We were an Organization of lies, and that was all we were. I couldn't help feeling as if I was being lied to every moment, and the ordeal with Marluxia proved it at best. There was talk of the Superior sending some of us to Oblivion to watch over it as well, but Marluxia's position stayed the same. It was as if he walked around with an invisible clock above his head, counting down the days to his demise, and only I could see it. Yet Marluxia walked around the castle with a smile on his face—for more reasons than we understood at that time.

"I've been to see her."

It was those solitary words I came across as I perused the lower floors of the Castle. Nobody had taken much to walking anymore, but I didn't want to go transporting around the Castle when I really had no idea where I was to go. I heard his voice at that time. Soft, unsure and… somewhat timid: Roxas, Number XIII. He spoke with an air of _excitement_, or something like it, and I could only assume it wasn't just anyone he was talking to. I heard him from around the corner, "Her skin was pale, like the moon's… but she glowed; I know she did. There was something interestingly weird about her, and when I was standing before her… I… think I got scared."

"Tch—how would you know?" came the reply. I could recognize that voice anywhere: it was Axel, once again resorted to playing the 'best friend' archetype, and playing it quite well, I might add.

"I guess that's what it was, because suddenly, I turned and ran. It wasn't real fear, but it was as if I didn't want to… talk to her… and I never wanted her to see me."

"She was asleep?"

"Yes…"

"… isn't that kinda creepy?"

"… p-possibly." A pause. "But that's not the point. Axel, why didn't the Superior want me to see her?"

"Hell if I'd know."

"Do you think he…" Pause once more. "There's just no valid reason. I can't understand the way he thinks. Sometimes, it seems as though he's just making this up as he goes along."

"He's a lot brighter than you think, you know."

"Maybe."

"… what is it?"

"I want to see her again."

"What?"

"A-and this time—I want to talk to her. Really. Maybe she can tell me something about my other—"

"Uh, bad idea, kid." Axel interrupted him at once. I could tell he was hesitant, as I sensed it in his voice, but I wasn't expecting him to be so direct. I peered around the corner, careful not to be seen. Axel was leaned casually against the wall, his arms folded over each other. He glanced over at Roxas who, with confused eyes, stared back at him from an end table. "Well—" Axel continued with a shrug. "Y-you know… what the Superior says about all this, right?"

"But he won't even tell me _why_—"

"That's technically none of our business."

"How can you just accept everything he says as the truth?"

"Listen to me, Roxas," he started friskily. "What ever Xemnas—uh, The Superior is planning… the only reason he won't address it is because we all understand it without speaking. It's just something we know. It's the only thing we all identify with, this _need_ to become whole. And hey, I can understand if maybe you aren't feeling 100 percent up to this because you never knew your former self, and that's fine, but do me a favour, okay? Promise me you won't ruin the Superior's plans. I know it all seems crazy right now, but… just trust him… that's all."

Roxas stared at him. "… and I don't suppose you'd understand me since you have an other self to remember. I don't, so it's completely different. But with her… It's as if… as if when I'm near her… I'm closer to myself…" a short smile wandered its way to his lips. Axel's eyes grew grave. "It's almost as if we're… the same… in a way…"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Roxas—"

A dark portal opened up instantly, much faster than usual, and Xemnas walked out in a flustered and tired manner. Without a second's glance at the situation, he took a feisty step forward and seized Roxas by the arm. But it wasn't something of vengeance; he took his hand in his, and gazed deep into his eyes. Roxas, startled, moved to take a step back out of caution. Had Xemnas been listening this whole time? Did he really have that kind of power to hear what he wanted from anywhere within the Castle? We never knew much about his powers, other than the fact he had them.

"… S-Superior, sir…" Roxas began shakily. "I was just—well… it's… not what you think." He pursed his lips tightly, aware that his five second rambles were all but resourceful.

"My dear boy," Xemnas began, placing a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "Because this is probably the only knowledge you've gotten on the subject… I won't hold you accountable for your actions. However," he sighed, and with the most father-like gaze he possessed, he told him, "It was instructed you not approach the girl for specific reasons. I wouldn't want her powers hindering our progress in any way."

"Powers?" Roxas repeated slowly.

"She is a witch, after all." Xemnas concluded.

Roxas' mouth hung open in confusion, shock… I was just as confused as he was from behind the wall. Namine, a witch? But how? And when did he even come to that theory? We knew she was a Nobody, like us, and she too possessed special powers, like we all did, so what made her more of a witch than us? We were all really the same.

"A… a witch?" Roxas stammered. "What?"

"It's complicated." Xemnas sunk into a bout of solemnity as he placed his other hand on Roxas' shoulder in a consoling manner. "But you shouldn't pay any mind to someone so insignificant, especially to _you_." He cracked an awkward smile at the boy. "Try to think positively. We're closer than ever… really, we are."

This—was a lie. I know this now, but back then, I listened in awe and astonishment. As I heard Xemnas talk—and he was a very good talker—I somehow saw the end of the road for us. Soon, we'd be whole… I wasn't aware how it would feel to suddenly _feel_ once more, but I was ready for it. Standing on the other side of that corner, I realized I was ready to feel whole again. I didn't plunge fifty feet into a gorge and fly back out for the sake of failure; I wanted to be whole more than anything as I heard Xemnas talk. He put Roxas so high above us, upon a pedestal, and all we could do was ogle at his greatness. It was something I was never prepared for, but at that moment, I almost saw Roxas as Xemnas saw him…

A beacon of light, a key of destiny…

_My_ destiny.

---

Yep, this is kinda long. :D

I have… nothing to say. XD;; Please review? Sorry this took so long? Thanks for reading? Yep. :D More soon.


	15. Closer to Oblivion

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

---

Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 15  
Closer to Oblivion

At the peak of our supposed success, two things happened.

The first of the two, being the least important in my eyes: Xemnas had secured Castle Oblivion for the taking. It would only be a matter of time before Marluxia was to acquire it as his own. The night before this was to happen, the thirteen of us gathered in the Meeting Room to discuss _the matters at hand_. I simply found it a waste because we knew what he, what Xemnas, was to say to us; more rubbish about Marluxia, no doubt. One thing that did surprise me was that this specific meeting began, quite easily in fact, without our _dearest_ keyblade wielder.

I wasn't the only one glancing around the room as Xemnas began his opening speech. I noticed the likes of Luxord, Xigbar and even Larxene scanning the room inconspicuously for the blond boy. Lexaeus leaned over to me and whispered, 'Where is he?' to which I replied—'Somewhere within the Castle'. It was true I could still sense him moving about the Castle, but I could tell he made no attempt to show up here. His soul was too restless and he was not planning on approaching anytime soon. I glanced up at Xemnas, who continued to speak as if this did not bother him in any way. Clearly, he knew something… and this was something he would never tell us.

The data wasn't enough. It would never be enough. The Heartless captured, consumed by Roxas' keyblade… would never be enough to feed our Kingdom Hearts. Something must be done about this. Yes, something must be done. But what…?

I remember when I heard those words being spoken. I was, once again, perusing the halls as a part of my daily tedium and came across Saix and Xemnas speaking in hushed voices at a corridor. I had been much too notorious for eavesdropping lately, but I didn't find it something that altered my decision in wanting to know what they were talking about.

Xemnas let out a tired sigh and I could hear him murmuring a stream of impatient words underneath his breath. Saix was the one who spoke first. "What do you suspect we do about this, Superior? We can no longer have him defeating Heartless for us because it no longer benefits us in any way. It's as if they disintegrate into nothing. Our database is as empty as it's always been—"

"Well, it would've been smart to inform me of this earlier, Saix." Xemnas' voice was stern as he spoke.

There was a brief pause, and then—"My apologies, Superior, sir."

Xemnas did not reply right away. I blinked solemnly, no ounce of even emulated emotion dancing about my eyes. They were cold. I was cold. Everything suddenly became very cold. The sky outside the castle appeared to have gotten darker, if possible, and the floor on which I was sure I was standing seemed to be sinking further down into the abyss.

So…

I tried to fully understand what was going on. Don't mistake for a moment that I was overreacting.

Because that would be impossible.

Roxas' keyblade was not a defect and yet, the Heartless it defeated were not redirected into our database as they should have.

Hmm.

Meaning, in common speech, that our endeavours up till then were… how shall I say it—_pointless_.

Hmm.

And… and Saix is only finding time to tell us this _now_? Or—oh! On the contrary, he's finding time to tell _The Superior_ of this now? Collectively, this wasn't so important as to address it in front of the whole group. And… and why not?

Why the _fuck_ not?

It's only two fucking _years_ of research and theories we've wasted on this—and now, he's—he's just finding time _now_, for the first time in two fucking years, for the first time since Roxas showed up—now's the only fucking time he had to tell us that the plan SUCKS?

Bull-fucking-shit.

It was times like these, when my passions got in the way, that I would explode with fury and yell at everything in sight. I used to do it often as a child, even sometimes as an apprentice… the slightest notion could set me off. But now that I was nothingness degraded to nothing, I no longer understood these passions. Was I _angry_ that Saix hadn't mentioned it before? I suppose I was a little annoyed or something similar to it… my soul, I could tell, was burning inside of me but I had nothing to relate this burning to. Was it anger? Was it revenge? Was it defeat? What the fuck was it?

And _why_ was The Superior keeping quiet?

I stormed out of the corridor then and there, not bothering to listen in any longer on their conversation. It wasn't worth it. Nothing was worth it any longer. What, did I just throw away two years of denial and scepticism to agree with this shit?

I knew that Xemnas and Saix had already talked about Roxas before the meeting took place, but the fact that the meeting began without him still confused me. So he was technically a defect. So what? Did he no longer care about him in the way that he used to? Before the meeting, I happen to know that Xemnas met with Roxas momentarily. I was too _indifferent _to eavesdrop, but whatever Xemnas told Roxas was more or less the reason why Roxas wasn't present. And Xemnas didn't give a fuck.

"So, about the Oblivion matters," Xemnas drawled on. I glanced at him once more; the deadness in his eyes proved reason enough not to trust him. "Besides Marluxia, we are in need of others to be sent to Oblivion…"

Why wasn't he saying anything? Did he think it not important enough to bring up?

"… I have decided that we should split the bases in half. Marluxia and a select few are to remain at Castle Oblivion; the rest are to stay here with me…"

This was our goal—_our_ goal, all of us. It makes no sense to keep it to himself. Wasn't this what we all wanted? Isn't that important enough?

"… while at Oblivion, Marluxia is to be treated as my successor…"

He had too many secrets. Too many. But this one… this one he had to tell. He couldn't keep it to himself.

"Furthermore…"

"Superior," I had spoken before I knew I said anything. My brain was working at such a fast pace, I was sure I didn't bother to wait for him to acknowledge me before I continued. It seemed as if he knew what I would say before I even knew it myself. The thought was there… the need to speak was there; but what of, I had no idea. "Superior, don't you think there's something very important you and Saix should be discussing with us?"

He raised an eyebrow at me and, as if he wasn't heartless enough, he told me, "No."

I was surprised in his answer, but my mouth continued to move, unfazed by his lackadaisical response. "Allow me to jog your memory." I could see I hit a nerve of some sort when I said that. We all knew The Superior had no _memory_, or rather, his other didn't. Saix, as usual, didn't show any outward emotions towards me, but if he had the chance to talk to me, I knew it wouldn't be at all pleasant. I continued, unabashed by my words, "The data isn't enough, it won't ever be enough for our Kingdom Hearts—"

Xaldin suddenly rose to his feet, glaring down at me as if I was scum on the bottom of his shoe. "You will speak when spoken to, Number VI." He glared menacingly towards me. Is this what really became of us? The six of us who used to be such good friends… now pit against each other because of Xemnas' lies.

I ignored him. "I suppose, Superior, this is also the reason for Roxas' disappearance." I told him once more.

Xemnas threw his lazy eyes over in my direction and firmly shook his head, as if he wouldn't dare utter a response.

"Roxas…" I heard Axel mumble, breathily. I looked at him, and almost at the same time, he too locked his gaze with mine. With suppressed annoyance in his eyes, he asked me, "What did he tell you?"

"Nothing that the Superior already knows, I suppose, if I were to have talked to him." I was aware I was rambling in riddles, and I was even beginning to confuse myself—I wasn't speaking, it was someone else inside my head, making me think this way… that was what I wanted to believe. But, as true as day on the other side of night, these were my words… these were my thoughts.

"Okay, what the fuck is going on?" Larxene sighed, placing a tired hand on her forehead. She looked at me and then at Axel, who ignored her gaze like the plague.

Xemnas let out a tired groan, ruffling his always-perfect hair in frustration. He looked at me, eyes dull in nature, "Oh, Zexion, you are ruining my beautiful Organization." He told me, in somewhat of a sing-song voice. I retained my firm gaze on him, and he too refused to falter. He sighed, "Ask me anything. I will tell you what you want to know."

I bit down on my bottom lip nervously. I should ask him anything? Why can't he just tell the truth? What did he have against the truth? Why couldn't he ever just fucking speak the truth on his own? "Well," I began, nervously. Xaldin was just then slowly beginning to ease into his seat, eyes locked on me as if he'd sooner jump me than speak. He really hated it when I spoke out against Xemnas, but I didn't care. What's it to him anyway? "Well, what about Roxas? We never start the meetings without every single member. Don't you think we should wait for him?"

"And here is your answer, Zexion." He began, sternly. "We have waited for every member. We have started the meeting because every member is here. Zexion, and to you all; Roxas—has left." This was the second event that happened at this crucial time. There was a wave of audible silence just then. It was as if we all went deaf for a moment; we just couldn't believe what he was telling us. Roxas left? But how? He was in the Castle. I could still sense him in the Castle—"He has left, he is a traitor." Xemnas told us.

"A… traitor?" Xigbar repeated, rather loudly. "But—but how could he… t-to _us_? He betrayed us? How?"

Xemnas shook his head. "The details are not important, which is why I didn't want to tell you." He was once again twisting his words and twisting the truth. "Just know this: Castle Oblivion is of more significance than he is right now. We need to decide who will follow Marluxia to Oblivion, and who will—"

"But what's the point?" it was Demyx. I doubt any of us really expected him to say anything, or anything relevant in general. But he looked absolutely serious, the most serious since I've known him. He looked dead at the Superior, waiting for an answer of some sort, but Xemnas didn't look as if he was willing to talk any longer. Demyx stuttered, "I mean… why still acquire Oblivion? We can't do anything with it if we don't have a keyblade wielder. What are we still continuing for? What else do we have to work towards if we don't have Roxas?"

"Because we have faith." Xemnas shrugged, and then leered towards Demyx. He smiled, very quaintly, at him. "Because he has left us to rejoin with his other." He said this all in no more than a whisper. There was something very mystical about the way he spoke. Rejoining with one's other was something we could never experience… so it was all too surreal to us. "He has gone to rejoin with his other. And together… they shall bring us glory."

Glory…?

… that was different.

Roxas had truly left us and the Organization was divided thereafter. The only respect we held for each other pertained in our ranks. It was Marluxia, Vexen, Lexaeus, Axel, Larxene and I that were to be sent to Oblivion. The rest stayed behind. Although before we left, we were all briefed on the supposed plan: the keyblade wielder is to be reunited with Roxas for maximum _efficiency_. We were to guide him through the Castle, and that was all we were told. Xemnas explained the plan in full to Marluxia, and Marluxia explained nothing to us. This caused an extreme rift between him, Axel and Larxene in relations to Vexen, Lexaeus and I. Vexen became extremely angered and began to warm up to us once more, although it wasn't the best thing that could've happened. We'd spend our days in the lower levels of Castle Oblivion, which mirrored the Castle that Never Was perfectly, and all Vexen would do is bitch at us about how those 'kids' aren't showing proper respect to him. Lexaeus didn't care much and I was just tired of being a pawn in Xemnas' master plan, which he forgot to reveal to us, naturally.

"Who does he think he is?" Vexen fumed, pacing back and forth in our corners of the Castle. "And what is the Superior thinking, putting someone like him in charge?"

"Don't care." Lexaeus mumbled with a shrug as he lit up another cigarette and eased into his chair. "I suppose we can only trust his motives even though we'll never know what they are—"

"But we're the goddamn seniors here, Lexaeus!" Vexen snapped at him, causing the both of us to shake a little. "How _dare_ he impute my honour!"

That easily became Vexen's daily argument. He seriously seemed to feel as though Xemnas was insulting him by not making him the leader of Castle Oblivion. I could really care less. Xemnas' master plan was making no sense to me at that point.

Some days, we'd be sent on missions to spy on the keyblade wielder and report back to Marluxia, but Marluxia seemed to be running his own agenda. We would mention things to him and he wouldn't care, but then we'd hint about one thing completely off from the subject—such as the keyblade wielder approaching a certain world—and he'd become incredibly excited and hide away in his room with his sex slave… Namine. I _felt_ the most for her. When I looked at her, it wasn't sadness that poured from my soul… but I think it was close. You must excuse me, I just can't tell anymore…

And then…

It was luck… that's all it was.

No one expected… well, we believed that the keyblade wielder must have been strong and quite strong-willed to have met up with Xemnas' other's Heartless and have defeated him…

But we didn't expect him to end up here.

At least I didn't think so. I knew it was the general intention, but when it happened, it was very surreal. Marluxia came down to tell us that 'the plan will begin shortly and all will be revealed', and then he disappeared. Neither Lexaeus, Vexen nor I understood what this really meant and we had no idea what to do in regards to Marluxia's 'plan', so we waited.

All we could do was wait.

It was horrible because it was like all we'd been doing was waiting since we were drafted to Oblivion; waiting for some kind of an idea of what we were doing there.

But I began to think.

What could this mean…? We were now with a keyblade wielder, but an incomplete one, as usual. But because this keyblade wielder was the true keyblade master, and not his Nobody, our chances of becoming whole seemed all the more tangible. I wanted to believe so. Something burning within my soul ignited at that time, and I desperately wanted to believe in the tangibility that I knew I could see.

The days that passed the keyblade wielder's arrival were met with much—boredom, to say the least. At a point, I recall Lexaeus asking me if I was sure that he was really in the Castle, to which I replied with a faint 'yes'. The three of us didn't feel much involvement in whatever plan Xemnas threw together with Marluxia. Was it always intended that way? We were completely in the dark, and neither of us was taking it that well.

Lexaeus wedged another cigarette between his stoic lips and blew smoke irritably about his head. Our lack of duty was beginning to get to him more and more with each passing day. He'd often ask me if I sensed anything from the upper floors and everyday I'd tell him, 'no, just the keyblade wielder', to which he would… respond accordingly; a smoke, usually. "What the fuck does The Superior take me for, huh?" He mumbled, offhandedly.

Vexen, who stood by a far window peering out into the distance, turned back to look at him, not bothering to dignify his remark with a response. He'd been long irked about the situation and neither of us cared.

Suddenly, Lexaeus slammed an angered fist down on the table in front of him, causing the room to shake in an awkward vibration. He grumbled, "Who the fuck does he think I am, huh? He can't fucking do this to me! What—so he picks those _kids_ to do everything? And what for?—"

Vexen sighed, "Lexaeus—"

"We grew up together!"

"Lexaeus, shut up." I hissed at him, earning Vexen's attention as well. I sighed, a flustered and disgruntled sigh, as I paced up and down the room. "Betrayal isn't something that neither of us are strangers to, am I right?"

"Modestly, Zexion." Vexen mumbled, turning back to the window.

"Well—" I looked towards Vexen's back facing me. "If that's the case, then… well, then maybe we don't need the Organization."

It was as if I uttered death. I wasn't aware the impact of my words would be so bold. It was just my opinion, after all. It was as if leaving the Organization was never an option for anyone, even though we were mildly against our leader. Yet here was Vexen, glaring at me as if there'd be no remorse for my words. Here was Lexaeus, cigarette hanging off his lip in astonishment at my words. Here was I… confused.

Very confused.

"What did you say?" Vexen grumbled, advancing towards me hastily. He seemed to want to grab me by my collar and swing me into the wall, but he refrained, for one reason or the other. He was practically breathing down my face, leering at me menacingly. At that time, I would've preferred he threw me against the wall as this was most uncomfortable. "What the fuck did you just say?"

Despite my uneasiness, I didn't hesitate. I told him. "I said, do we really need the Organization—?"

I heard Lexaeus' fist go down again and felt the ground rumble underneath my feet.

"Well, what good is it doing for us? Huh?" I snapped at them both, shoving a flustered Vexen away from me. He stumbled back in shock—firstly, that I would even touch him, and secondly, that I was probably right. I sneered at him. "Xemnas is just playing us all like idiots—"

"Don't call him that, he's _The Superior_!"

"—and I'm pretty fucking sure _Xemnas_ doesn't really value us as much as we appear to need him! But we don't—that's the point! We don't need him to become whole anymore! And… and I'm pretty sure we never did!"

Vexen shouted something at me, and soon, two large icicles came flying towards my head at a great speed. I took a step back and, waiting for the impact, held my arms up in front of my face. But I felt nothing. … well, I know I felt nothing normally, but nothing even whizzed by my head. I opened my eyes and found a wall of flames engulfing the corner of the room I was in. Putting my arms down slowly, I looked around at the wall of flames, puzzled by its appearance. I don't know what made me want to touch it, but I'd held out my hand, reaching for it… when it disappeared as quickly as it formed.

When I got a better view of the room, I spotted Axel a few steps away from me, arms crossing diligently, eyes ablaze as usual. Vexen's breathing was intense, as I'd practically questioned his religion moments ago, and his eyes were no longer set on me. Instead, he saved his glares of _hatred_ for Axel.

"Is this what you three do all day down here?" Axel asked him with a smirk. There was something incredibly smarmy about the way he spoke to us. This was almost like our beloved Axel, but something about him had changed. I could only imagine what he conversed with Marluxia and the others about on the upper levels.

"What do you want, Axel?" Lexaeus asked him, hotly. "We don't have time for you."

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow at Lexaeus. "You must excuse me for asking _like I care_. But I guess it's the least I can do for you three since you are, after all, my seniors—"

"Was that something you'd long forgotten?"

"No. But respect does go both ways. Care for me to educate you?"

"No." Vexen mumbled, bitterly. "I'll assume you're here to brief us on something important from Marluxia. If that's the case, then speak now, speak well, and leave. If that's not the case, then just leave."

"And have you mutilate Zexion?" he asked, loftily. "Well, you three must be busy, then." He rolled his eyes.

"What the hell do you want?" Vexen snapped, suddenly, waving his hands in the air frantically. Yes; he had cracked. "Haven't we been mocked enough? Us, we, shunned to the lower levels of the castle like vermin! Like we're _not_ more important than whatever Marluxia has planned!"

Axel shook his head. "He just wanted you three to know that the keyblade wielder will be taken care of accordingly and if your help is required, it will be requested. At that time, you are required to comply without any objections…" a pause. "He just wanted to make sure that, alone, was understood."

Vexen's faced was twisted into such a vulgar, grotesque countenance that Axel couldn't even look at him anymore. Lexaeus stared at Axel, quite blankly, probably refusing to believe what he was saying. Nevertheless, neither Nobody was speaking. I cleared my throat, and Axel turned around to face me. Vexen reared his ugly head towards me, glaring at me, huffing and puffing in disapproval. If he could speak, I suppose he'd bitch at me for supposedly complying with Marluxia's terms. Lexaeus didn't seem to care or acknowledge me.

I spoke. "You can tell Marluxia that when he tells us what the fuck is going on, we'll decide whether or not we've decided to comply."

Axel stared at me, eyes clearly irritated by my words. The wrinkles in Vexen's forehead began to loosen and he appeared to be much better than before.

I half expected Axel to reply with something similar to 'well, he said you'd say that, so…', but he didn't. He turned and, without another word or a second glance, disappeared into a dark portal.

It was silent for a while longer. Lexaeus, who seemed more put out than before, slumped over lazily in his seat and stared straight ahead to the wall in front of him. There was something hidden, furrowed within his bushy brows, and I couldn't seem to figure out what it was. And Vexen—Vexen looked even more discouraged about the whole thing. It's hard to explain, but it was as if everything he'd so long been working on just came crashing down before his eyes. I suppose I could understand what that would feel like… but it was no use.

"Vexen," I approached him, cautiously. He had his back turned to me, pretending to be engaged in something beyond the windowsill. He didn't seem to want to acknowledge me, so I stopped dead in my tracks and prepared to retire to my seat in the back.

Vexen suddenly swirled around on the spot, arms crossed lazily across his chest. The corners of his mouth were twitching and he was blinking quite frequently, which only showed something of bottled anger. This is what he said to me: "And… and divided we fall."

And all was silent thereafter.

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Okay! \:D/

That only took forever, and I apologize ;; Thanks to everyone who's bothered to drop me a review!!

New chapter soon. :D I'll try to follow the game's events as close as possible, but at the same time I won't… because then it won't be fun anymore. XD;; Plus, I'm not a fan of novelizations. ALSO. This isn't gonna follow the game script scene-by-scene because… well, obviously not. Just warning you ahead of time, in case anyone out there is one of those serious, hardcore, beyond hardcore, not-even-sane-anymore gamers that memorized the CoM script. :x Because I only played the game once, so… I actually remember… uh, not much. :x … :D


	16. Playing in the Dark

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 16  
Playing in the Dark

Unless my memory fails me, it was only a while after our final friendly encounter with Axel that we fully learned of Xemnas' plan… and then, Marluxia's plan. Yes, the two plans were separate. You can only imagine how confused the three of us were, brooding over nothing in the lower levels. We tried to differentiate: Xemnas wanted the keyblade wielder, why? He wanted to use his powers, of course. He knew that once Roxas found the keyblade wielder, which was the original purpose of Castle Oblivion—_I suppose—_then we would be able to… utilize the power of the keyblade and become whole once and for all. This would take close to a year, if everything went as planned.

Marluxia, however, wanted the keyblade wielder… why? Because he was… well, of course… it only… well.

Hmm.

I won't pretend to understand what Marluxia was thinking. But it became evident that he no longer intended to follow Xemnas' plans, which only meant one thing for all of us, no matter what side we were on: _anarchy_. I suppose a select few stayed loyal to Marluxia, _as the Superior did name him "Xemnas' Junior" here at Oblivion_, but we all… collectively, still found solace in knowing Xemnas was our only Superior. But it was definitely a confusing time for The Organization. It was as if we were always Nobodies, but it was then that we realized we didn't know who we were anymore.

It was one fateful afternoon, standing around our common room, pretending to be engaged in something nearby. The three of us were awfully bored with our lives, as we knew it, and just wanted a way _out_. Lexaeus would disappear for hours, and then suddenly reappear as if he'd never left. When prodded for an answer, or some kind of response, he would just shrug, ease back into his chair and light up another cigarette. Even Vexen, who found solace in conducting random experiments from time to time, would lose his motivation to get up every day. He would sit by the window, gazing up at the seemingly endless ceiling, his eyes rolling back into his head like a corpse. It truly was a sad sight to see; the both of them, I mean.

I, on the other hand, occupied myself in the stupidest and possibly lowest way possible for someone such as myself. When asked what I was doing sitting in the middle of a room and staring at the wall, I'd reply with 'nothing much'. But the truth of the matter was that I was mapping out a mental map of Castle Oblivion, based on the scents I could pick up floating on the upper floors. It really was sad and truly pathetic, but I was… dare I say it, bored out of my fucking mind. It was confusing at a time because I'd often sense a Larxene on one floor, and then she'd teleport to another floor so fast that I'd lose track of Marluxia, and then the keyblade wielder, who was advancing up the floors faster than I'd anticipated… it would've kept me busier if it wasn't such a boring past time.

But that one fateful afternoon…

"What is it, Zexion?" Lexaeus asked me, abruptly. He seemed to notice a slight change in my usually dull features, and he was right to. It was almost as if life has poured its way back into me, or something like it, because I seemed much more… refined. I'd look around the room and see _things_, no longer the dull shapes that always lay along the walls. My eyes _felt_ odd as I gazed at everything, and I would squint and twitch in an odd manner from time to time. I had no idea what these sensations were meant to be, but they intrigued me. "Well?" he prodded me again.

I told him. "There is a new scent in the Castle."

At first, neither he nor Vexen believed me. Lexaeus gave a forced, strained laugh and spat out his cigarette at me. His features, which I figured would be frozen in that lackadaisical state forever, suddenly were creased with wrinkles from a smile. He chuckled, "No shit, Zexion—I applaud you for the effort, though, trying to make me laugh and all. It worked! God—we needed that, we really did."

I groaned. "I'm not lying. There's a new scent in the Castle." I wasn't about to tell them that I had spent the past week or so _sniffing_ out the Castle so I could tell whether or not there was a new scent somewhere.

Vexen's slight amused smile began to vanish and he turned towards me, his arms crossed. "Are you certain, Zexion?" he asked me, as sternly as he could.

"Very certain, Vexen." I said, with a slight roll of my eyes. "The scent… it's quite similar to the Superior's."

"Similar?" Vexen asked, haughtily. "There's no way."

"There is a way." Lexaeus interrupted suddenly. "Remember that child who was affiliated for a short time with the Superior's Other's Heartless… Riku. He was a friend of the keyblade wielder's, wasn't he? Well it's possible he was lured here because of the keyblade wielder for—"

"For Marluxia's plan, of course." I scoffed.

"Or not." Lexaeus gave a shrug.

Silence.

"… either way." I mumbled. "He can't have them both."

More silence.

I glanced at Lexaeus and Vexen, both of whom were in deep thought on the subject. Perhaps I was being too rash but I had already thought through all our possibilities. I suppose it was because I was sick of being used and tired of mapping out the Castle that I figured we could either use this boy to our advantage… or we could use this boy to our advantage _against_ Marluxia. Either way—we had to use the boy!

"I say," I spoke up, casually. "We should use him."

"Exactly." Vexen and Lexaeus answered simultaneously.

"It only makes sense." Vexen nodded. "If Marluxia has Sora, we need only acquire Riku."

Yes, it made perfect sense.

It was treachery; true. It was also… hmm. Blasphemous, I suppose. But we were no longer able to care about anything. And even though the three of us were together, I doubt either of us really cared much for what happened to the others. Vexen disappeared to find this Riku; he was to use his data and create a duplicate. At first, Lexaeus and I were puzzled as to why this was even necessary… I mean, we didn't need another Riku. We could just use the one we had. But Vexen insisted a second one would be better—'he would be under our control, more or less,' he told us… and so we believed him.

"Where's Vexen?"

This question was most ominous.

Lexaeus had returned from his daily spy with a seemingly bitter disposition. I suppose he had either had a good argument with Axel or someone else from the _upper levels_. That was how we secretly referred to those who occupied the higher floors. Lexaeus sighed, a heavy-burdened sigh, "Things don't look good."

I blinked at him. "… and Vexen?" I asked once more.

"Vexen is off pruning his beloved Replica, of course." Lexaeus told me with a shrug. He'd been particularly annoyed at Vexen's disappearances because he really and truly saw no real point in them. "I have to admit, he's doing a decent enough job, but I have no idea if there's even a point. Every second we waste is plagued with the thought of Marluxia finally harnessing the keyblade wielder's power, or—or failure… Zexion. Absolute failure. Can you imagine?" he sighed. "All these years… before we were against nothing, and it seemed as though nothing could stop us but our ignorance! And that—even that notion alone was enough to keep us going. Now look at us; we're either with Marluxia or against Marluxia, we're either waiting for a miracle or we're trying to find one out of the depths of unexplainable science!—what's happening to us…? Zexion… what's going on?"

"Calm yourself." I told him nonchalantly. He rolled his eyes at me. "I understand what you're saying." I said, reassuringly. "We can't get sidetracked. Thinking about Marluxia and what he's planning won't help unless we're planning something too—"

"But is it right, to just go ahead and play the arms race like fools?" he snapped at me. "Fucking hell! It's 'who've you got?', 'well, I've got the keyblade wielder; who've you got?', 'me? I've got the dark child, his friend. What are you planning?'—it's fucking idiocy!"

"Honestly, Lexaeus, you're thinking much too broadly." I said with a roll of my eyes. "Just let things go the way they are. Trust… yourself. Trust us."

"But what's trust?" He growled at me.

I ignored him. He was never this stubborn, but I suppose with everything that was going on, one can only be that way… I sighed. "What's going on upstairs?" I asked, in an attempt to save him from his moping.

"What's _not_ going on upstairs?"

"Just answer the question."

"All right," he straightened up and looked me dead in the eye. He spoke sternly, "Namine's completely fucked up that kid's, Sora's memories. Seems Marluxia's either gone mad or he's really serious about this… thing. Whatever it is. My only question is, does the Superior know?"

When he asked me this, I wanted to laugh. I wanted to cackle as loud as I could, smile as wide as I could and indulge in the thought of the Superior NOT knowing. Of course he fucking knew! Wasn't it his idea to put Marluxia in charge so he would fail? I assume he was anticipating this at the very least. Even with my desperation to laugh, I only cracked a slight smirk, and I said. "Of course."

"Wha?" he gawked at me. "How do you know if he knows?"

I _smiled._ "That needn't bother you, Lexaeus. But really, how can the Superior not know?"

"How can he know? That's what I asked you."

"Oh..." I drawled wistfully. He hung on my every word like some hopeless puppy and I enjoyed my brief acting debut. I would hum and pause as if I was even contemplating his question. How can the Superior know? _Because he set it up_. Oh, but no, no one ever questions the Superior. How could one even _fathom _the thought of him wanting one of his own to fail, hmm? I turned abruptly to Lexaeus once more. "Is that all the news from the top?"

He grumbled at my obvious point to avoid his question. "Yes. Yes, it is."

"Good."

"That, and that Axel and Larxene aren't to be trusted."

"Naturally."

"I doubt you'll ever find a trustworthy Organization member again."

Something about his words bothered me, but I let it go. "Just my thinking." I said, uneasily.

He scoffed and disappeared into a dark portal before my eyes. It was then I realized how right Lexaeus had been. A trustworthy Organization member? I almost wanted to laugh at the thought. Trustworthy?

… trust.

It was something we all used to have, wasn't it?

…

Don't know, can't remember.

The days pressed on in the same edgy manner, where I'd see Vexen and he'd report nothing to me. Yet even though I got no information from Vexen, Lexaeus or our infamous Replica, I still knew everything that went on from then on. It was as if I was just omnipresent and I could understand everything, besides Marluxia's desires, within a minute.

Things really began soon thereafter. It was a time where you could hardly breathe through the tense environment, or you could hardly see through the lies. I may explain things too fast, too brief, too… well. You must understand. It was just the way things were. There was no time to comprehend anything, and I'm sure even if there was time, nothing would get done. When word came of this or that, it would be told and absorbed quite quickly. Everything that went on in the upper floors began to channel its way down to us.

I saw less and less of Lexaeus as the days passed… and I was sure I hadn't seen Vexen for at least a full week. But this one day… and of course I remember it very well and very clearly. I was pacing back and forth in the common room where I used to stay and Lexaeus suddenly appeared. I wasn't contented in seeing him, but I greeted him normally as if he'd never abandoned me for days on end. He seemed perturbed. "Is something troubling you, Lexaeus?" I asked him.

Suddenly, it seemed as though something that was occupying my thoughts and my mind had disappeared in an instant. It was as if a weight had been dropped in my head, weighing it down with… empty space. I staggered back from shock, but I had no time to contemplate it for Lexaeus answered me, quite abruptly. "Yes. Vexen is no more."

"… y-yes." I stuttered, holding a hand to my head. "I can no longer pick out his scent." I was mumbling. I didn't understand why Vexen's disappearance was having such a bold impact on me. And I had no idea why I only got wind of it then when Vexen had clearly been eliminated earlier. Nevertheless, my head began to hurt… just a little. I think it was hurting. I remember keeping my hand at my head for quite some time, massaging the area just above my right temple. Vexen was gone… he was really gone. For some reason, I didn't expect it to happen so soon. How had he given up? What happened?

"He's been eliminated by Axel." Lexaeus said, quite bitterly.

"I know."

Lexaeus clenched his fists, keeping them by his side angrily.

"Now…" I stammered. "… what now?" I looked at him.

He only shrugged. "Dunno. What'll we do about Axel?"

"We have no obligation to do anything about Axel. Now listen—"

Lexaeus growled at me, "What the hell, Zexion—he's a traitor! He's a fucking traitor—he struck one of his own! He needs to be dealt with!"

"Well then the Superior will do it! Who died and gave you authority?" I snapped at him. He instantly kept quiet. "Just because Marluxia is acting like a fucking idiot, it doesn't mean we all can! And if he wants, he can do something about Axel!"

"They say Vexen feared the Superior's response if he didn't follow Marluxia's orders!" he shot back at me. "Vexen! Our Vexen feared the Superior so much as to die for that bastard! And now what? Are we just not going to do anything about it?"

"You're crowding your head with useless material. You have no emotions. Stop pretending; it will do you no good."

"But I'm angry, Zexion!" he groaned, dispiritedly. "That's right… I'm angry. I am! I can feel the breaths in my chest rising and falling and it's doing something weird to me… my head, my fingertips, everything… it's just weird and I don't understand it anymore!"

"So what do you propose we do?" I should have yelled at him, but there was no point. He was being irrational, I had to be the rational one; that was the way things worked. "Do you plan to… to dispose of Sora? If we get rid of him, surely everything else will follow."

"No…" Lexaeus shook his head boldly. "No. If Marluxia wants to be a bitch, then I can be a bitch too. He can keep his keyblade wielder—I'm going after that Riku boy. If Marluxia wants the light, he can have it… we'll keep the dark."

And that was the way things played out. I feared for Lexaeus' irrationality, as I knew it would eventually be his downfall. I often waited in the common room or paced the levels of the castle, coaching the Replica and conversing with him on his current state… attempting to find Riku… whatever I did, I was always ready for Lexaeus' scent to fade. Something just told me he'd get himself in too much trouble, and fall further than anyone ever thought possible.

I just didn't think it would happen so soon.

…

That day after our brief argument… I didn't expect him to vanish within the span of a week. He'd left in a flustered manner. I suppose he was truly angered by Vexen's disappearance that he was doing everything in some sort of a drunken rage. Apparently, he had confronted Riku—and lost. How could he be so stupid? Why would he go up against Riku on his own? Why didn't he call me, or ask for my help…? Now look what happened… we were one member less… ugh! His sheer idiocy astounded me! How could he do this to me? To us? To all our hard work? At least Vexen had a reason—I can understand his infantile fear of the Superior at least a little, even though it was infantile—but what the _fuck? _How could Lexaeus just go and get himself blown up at such a crucial time? Didn't he…

… didn't he care anymore…?

Oh…

What was happening to us…?

I didn't know what to think anymore. I was void. I was alone. I saw no point anymore in doing anything. I no longer cared about the future of the Replica, Vexen's creation… I no longer found it useful to carry a vendetta against Axel… I just—I was lost… that's what it was.

Axel found me one day, which surprised even me. I hadn't seen him for what seemed like eternity. He had this air of maturity about him, ironically, though I could tell there was something different about his eyes. They were glazed over with something foreign. Yes. He definitely couldn't be trusted. "Such a shame to see everyone disappearing like this." That was the first thing he said to me. There was something jovial in his voice that I found amusing.

I turned to him and smiled wryly. "I'll have to agree with you." I said, pacing the room evenly. "Yes. Now everything just seems all the more worthwhile." I was being sarcastic. Nothing was worthwhile. _Nothing._

"You're kidding." He said, stately.

"Do I kid, Axel?" I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. What are you doing here? Surely there's more excitement going on upstairs."

He laughed, crossing his arms. "That's where you're wrong, Zexion. Larxene's just been finished off, so I came to see what's going on down here."

I turned on him instantly, unable to believe what he was saying. "Larxene? Gone?" I paused. "Why… why didn't I notice her scent vanish? Was it at the same time as Lexaeus? That has to be the only reason."

He shrugged and walked over to a window by the far wall, gazing out tiredly. "So Lexaeus is gone too…?" he mumbled. "And Vexen."

"Yes, and Vexen." I sneered at him.

He smirked. "And Larxene. It's like a chain reaction, don't you think?" He sighed a thoughtful sigh, "Ah, who do you think will go next, hmm?"

"Maybe you."

"You're funny." He said, plainly, with a roll of his eyes. "I've already taken my beats, thank you. No, I think Marluxia… will be next." It was amusing to see his lips curl at the thought.

I chuckled. "Marluxia…" How did he get such a thought? I wasn't saying it had never crossed my mind once, but… it just didn't seem possible then. I had been thinking too much about Riku and the Replica that I hadn't even spent any time contemplating Marluxia's well-being. … not that I cared, but really. I had no idea what was really going on up there and here Axel, who has been involved with Marluxia since the beginning, is telling me that he might perish soon…? I wanted to believe him, I really did. But it just sounded so farfetched that it made me laugh. I smiled, "You think Sora will win. Because anyone that beats you is unbeatable, is that it?"

"It's so, Zexion, it is so." He nodded with a smile. "Sora will ultimately be the one to destroy Marluxia, because Marluxia is the one using him for his own selfish use—"

"You're saying that as if you had nothing to do with it—"

"Hey, let's get one thing straight here." He held up a hand to silence me. "I was never on Marluxia's side."

I rose an eyebrow at him. What a great actor this Axel is. Even then, I wanted to believe him. He sounded sincere. "Is that so? Well then I was never on the Superior's side. Does that seem fair?"

He shrugged. "Fair enough."

I sighed, crossing my arms. "You're telling me Marluxia will perish… so I suppose I'll give you some credit since you've at least seen him in the past two months."

"Credit well deserved."

"But if Sora will destroy him, then what will we do with Riku?" I mumbled, tapping a finger at my chin. "Riku is of no more use to us… so we must eliminate him."

"After what he did to Lexaeus, you better be careful."

"Lexaeus was headstrong and foolish. His circumstances are pitiful, but at the same time, they're also quite funny."

Axel smirked.

I crossed my arms and wandered over to the sofa by the wall to think. It was what I was good at, thinking. I could think up anything and right then, that was what I needed to do. Everything was falling apart. As I sat there, I couldn't help but remember Vexen's words… all he told me was "and divided we fall". At the time, I thought I understood, but now I realize that what I thought I knew back then… was nothing. It was nothing. Now, with Vexen gone, Lexaeus gone… Larxene gone… I realized what this was doing to us. As I looked over at Axel by the window, the Axel who first greeted me when I arrived at the World That Never Was, the same Axel who was my only mentor and was the only one who would converse with me, the same Axel… how had I turned against him? He was untrustworthy, but then again, so was I. Neither of us could be trusted, and that was the reason we needed each other more than ever.

More than words could tell.

Yet all I could think of was Vexen… Vexen and his words.

'And divided we fall'…

Yes.

And divided we fall, indeed.

---

So. Things will end quite soon. :D I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last. XD;; And I'm sorry this took so long! Work + school + pointless extracurricular stuff makes for a busy child. :D

Once again, am still trying to follow the game as close as possible but there are some twists for the sake of characterization and Zexion's thinking patterns and stuff. Hope that's okay. :D Please review and thanks so much for reading:D


	17. Pseudonym

Author's Note: I have a very bad habit with starting things in the middle of other things. Forgive me T.T;; But this idea is fantabulous… at least I think so ;; Anyway. I'm actually trying to be a bit more darker with this one, so tell me if it works out okay. If you like it, please review :D Criticism, constructive criticism, feedback—anything is appreciated, as long as it's productive :D Thanks much! And yes, this is centered around Organization XIII. Fun fun. :D  
ALSO. In the English version, the translations of the original 6 members of OrgXIII were modified (eg. Bleig is really Braig, etc), and so I'm using the original Japanese transliterations… shouldn't be too hard to follow. :x Braig, Even, Ienzo, Elaeus, Dilan. Okay? Okay. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

---

Hidden Beneath a Cloak  
Chapter 17  
Pseudonym

If everything was to be perfect, then it would have to go my way…

… that was what I thought. I began to believe it so much that it consumed my every thought. Every action from then on was only to benefit my ultimate plan. And… a-and what? What was it? My ultimate plan? I was to destroy Riku…

Destroy Marluxia.

… destroy the Organization—there was to be no more talk of becoming whole! I'd had enough of their over-processed bullshit! I remember talking with Axel, talking in such a matter that it would seem as if he and I had been close friends all our lives, squabbling on about unimportant matters—actually _plotting_ together, whereas weeks before we were nothing but memories to each other! We talked a great deal that day when he came to see me. He agreed that Riku was to be disposed of, and I accepted his agreement. We never talked about how Riku would be destroyed or what would destroy him, but we talked of his demise quite amiably.

I turned to the redhead who was in mid-sentence about something or other. "Axel," I said, calmly. I paused a moment when I'd got his attention, and I folded my arms across my chest tiredly. What was I thinking just then? Besides the fact that this ordeal had to go my way… I did not want to reveal to Axel that I wanted to destroy the Organization as well. He could not find out that my ill views towards Xemnas' grouping of idiots was more real than I made it out to be. With whatever was left of me… I wanted to destroy them.

We had truly become nothing the moment Vexen died, the moment he disappeared. He was our catalyst. Though not everyone would admit to trusting him or even liking him, he was still one of us. When he was eliminated, the feeble chains of the Organization began to break and fall at such a fast rate that no one could save it. I had no intention to save it, but I wanted to remove myself wholly from it so I would be the one sitting on the edge of Naught's Skyway and watching the Castle crumble. I wanted to have that privilege. I had followed Xemnas' stupid plans thus far just to become whole and die in a dignified manner—and look what happened!

There is no more dignity.

There is no point.

I just couldn't take it anymore. Nothing anyone could say would make me change my mind. … I say that now, and I believed it then, but no one tried to sway my views. If I had been reached by one small presence, perhaps things would've been different. Maybe I wouldn't have ended up this way… maybe.

"Axel." I said once more. "Did you get the data on Riku's home?"

Axel raised an eyebrow at me. I looked him dead in the eye. I guess he was expecting me to waver, but he should've known by then that I wasn't that type of person. He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well, give it to me." I held out a hand in anticipation.

He laughed, plain and simple. "You must be out of your fucking mind! Why should I give that to you—?"

"You _will_ give it to me, and if you so desire, I'll tell you why." I said with a roll of my eyes. "I know how to destroy this Riku boy. I know exactly how to get rid of him. No doubt my plan will be the fastest and most efficient—"

"You say that as if you asked for my input yet." Axel smirked. "So what is your ultimate plan that'll destroy Riku in—oh, just for fun—the next twenty-four hours?"

I held up a hand. "First; I don't think it's any of your business. Second; twenty-four hours is too long of a time-span. Give me the data on his home now, and I will have him destroyed before Marluxia has his way with the Organization." And then, I will destroy Marluxia… and the Organization. I wasn't going to tell him that. He gave a slow nod, and till now, I never understood his reasons for trusting my motives.

Nevertheless, I was left with the data I needed to create my own pseudo Destiny Islands. The thought alone kept me cackling for the majority of the night as I worked away in what was left of my lab… our lab, Vexen, Lexaeus and I… ah, I did… appear to have some sort of attachment left to them, but I didn't know what it was. I didn't care long enough to analyze it. Sad, isn't it? These were once the people I cared about, almost like brothers to me… and now they had perished, and I was laughing by myself in a corner of the lab.

I didn't know what to think of it.

I had finished the card containing the data of Destiny Islands and I was ready to present it to Riku and destroy him, but something inevitable happened that night. There was a sudden shake in the Castle and I was knocked off balance slightly. I looked up instantly, cursing those on the upper floors—and then, my head suddenly got very light. It was as if something occupying my mind had vacated itself… like when Larxene had perished.

And I knew at once that Marluxia had died.

…

… _he had died._

…

It was _surreal._ I'd been hoping, I'd been anticipating it, but I… I couldn't believe it. That one child, the keyblade master, had really defeated Marluxia? If the legends were true, then that must mean he really was a great warrior. I was the only one, I believe, that had never met him—and at the moment, I didn't think it would be useful to encounter him anyway—so I couldn't understand the amount of strength he possessed. He was… was he really stronger than Marluxia? As much as I hated that bastard, it was impossible to beat him! We—collectively, the Organization—that possessed such fantastical powers… we were really being beaten by these _children_?

It didn't make any fucking sense! It was impossible… but here was Marluxia, gone.

I didn't have time to fake my rage and let my soul take control of my head. Now that Marluxia had died, it was Axel and I that remained in the Castle. And I knew that Axel couldn't be trusted. I talked with him earlier, but I never gave myself fully to the idea that he could ever be trusted again. Now that he and I were all that was left, and that Replica was still walking around somewhere, confused like a prepubescent boy, I knew I had to act fast. I had to find Riku, destroy him and destroy Axel as well.

This was my plan, for the time being: I would lure Riku to a false image of his beloved Destiny Islands, and then I would take on the form of the Keyblade master, Sora… carefully luring him to his death. He would trust _me_ because I would look like his _friend_ so of course I had nothing to worry about. If all things went as planned, he would be disposed of in the next twelve hours and I would be left with Axel to deal with. At that time, I honestly saw no reason why my plan should fail. All the pieces were in place for a masterful event.

Here was the dark child at my leisure.

Things were _perfect_. I was this close to destroying… everything. … and I was laughing at my sheer magnificence.

He stopped before me, looking around cautiously.

"Something's weird about this place." He said, quietly, scanning the room carefully. "A… scent vanished?"

I shook slightly. How could he tell? Did he have powers to sense Marluxia's disappearance? … no. No, it wasn't possible. I scolded myself for thinking such stupid thoughts. He was only a child—and he wasn't like one of us, therefore he knew nothing about anything and I had nothing to worry about. I appeared before him and he took several steps back. I nodded, solemnly, as if I had been there all along, "You guessed right." I told him. "A powerful scent has vanished. Marluxia, the unfortunate keeper of this castle—" I rolled my eyes. "—has been defeated by the Keyblade master."

"The keyblade master…?" he mumbled. "You—you mean Sora? He's really here?"

I sighed with a careless shrug. This whole time, I assumed that it was his friend's presence that drew him to Oblivion, but… he didn't even know he was here. Things began to make less and less sense to me as the seconds passed, but I wasn't ready to falter from my plan. For once in my pitiful existence, _I had no time to think things through_… I spoke through gritted teeth. "Yes. Yes he is."

"Tell me where—!"

"Well do you really want to see him? Hmm?" I asked, tauntingly, my arms crossed. He raised an eyebrow at my sudden inquisition. "Think about it. You've fully accepted the darkness as your predecessor, have you not?"

"That's not true!"

"Well from an outsider's view, such as mine, I can tell you aren't the same person anymore." I smirked. "Don't you think… oh, I don't know," I hummed to myself, pacing around him in somewhat of a lackadaisical circle. I could tell he would lunge at me any second he got, but I could also tell that of this battle of wits, I was winning. The thought was enticing. "Don't you think there's just so much shame attributed to such an arbitrary act?"

"What are you even talking about?"

"You know he's fated to defeat the darkness—it's the myth of the Keyblade master, everyone knows this much. However," I held up a finger to silence him. "If we think of this theoretically, and he is light… then you must be dark."

"That's not true, you liar! I'm not like that anymore!"

"Listen to me, child, you _are_ darkness and that is something you can't run from any longer." I lowered my gaze at him. "The sooner you accept your fate… the sooner you will realize that you and he live in two different worlds, ones that are meant to end in a violent clash to the death. Now you can choose to ignore me," at this a smile came to my lips. The thought was amusing in a sad type of way. Ignore me… hmm. "But before you say anything contradictory," I held out a hand where a card appeared instantly. "Browse this." I whipped it at him and he caught it quite easily.

The moment he touched it, the room ignited in a splash of light and the once dull white room we resided in became a vast stretch of sand and water. In the distance, there were gigantic trees beyond anything I'd ever seen before. The smell of the fresh island air bathed us like exotic cologne and I glanced out to the endless sea. … this was a very beautiful island. Even though it was a lie… I was content in knowing I had a chance to see it before the end.

"This is…" he took a cautious step backwards as if the floor would give in at any moment. Looking around with wide, childlike eyes, he stuttered, "… this… it's…"

"Yes. Your home." I told him with a firm nod.

I disappeared from the island's data at once, but I wasn't done with him yet. Knowing full well what happened to Lexaeus when he went up against this child… I decided that I would be the one to destroy him. I was bent on believing that Lexaeus was truly headstrong and had let his lack of emotions get in his way. I wasn't going to be that way. Besides, there was no way I could lose. I would masquerade as Riku's friend, the keyblade master Sora, and he would be much too weak to defeat the likes of a friend. The young, fickle, teenage mind is always this way.

You'd think that… since I already knew these weren't ordinary teenage boys, that I'd figure my plan would need tweaking. But in my blindness, I never once thought of this. That was why… as Sora, I had failed. Something always happened that ended up ruining everything… and because this was my last resort, I couldn't have distractions any longer.

I was… I was angry… I think I was.

Axel was my only option…

… yes. My thinking was rash. I was at my wit's end. _There was no time for doubt_. I would befriend Axel once more, and use him to defeat Riku—and then I would destroy him! Yes! It had to be done! It was the only way that anything would get accomplished! I knew I could do it—I once talked to Axel like a brother… I could do it again, I knew I could.

Everything was set…

It was the perfect storm… with the perfect escape.

… why did I see this coming and do nothing to stop it…?

…

Let me not think of this any longer. There's no time left.

"Axel," I approached him quickly. He and the Riku Replica were engaged in some form of deep discussion, but I didn't care. This was much too important to ignore. This absolutely had to work. I stood by the two of them and Axel turned to me… with those _eyes_. Those eyes… I should've noticed them at first, but I didn't. Instead, engulfed in my frustration, I interrupted the two of them. "Axel, I have something very important I have to tell you."

"Marluxia is gone." He spoke softly.

A warped confusion brushed its way past my features but I did not let them stay. How did he know? Well, how could he not know? I was sure Marluxia's omnipresence was something you couldn't not take notice of, so why then was I so surprised to hear that Axel knew of Marluxia's disappearance so soon?

"Axel—"

"You know, Riku, it must be horrible for you to realize the fact that you aren't real." He turned away from me and began to converse with the Replica once more.

This was the only flaw… I shouldn't have let him turn those eyes from me.

The Replica nodded in return. "Yeah, so?"

I looked frantically between the two of them. Why did Axel turn from me so suddenly? I cleared my throat. "Axel, this is important. Can—well, it's about the castle—" I was prepared to tell any lie to get him to befriend me once more, but he turned from me again. I became angered in an odd sense. He was ignoring me. He was up to something. I groaned. "Listen to me, this is no time for idiocy!"

"I bet you want to be real." He said suddenly to the Replica. His words stalled me in my place. I couldn't quite explain why because I didn't know why myself, but it was… unnerving. He continued, "You want to be real, like we want to be whole… and you would do anything to achieve it."

"What?" I mumbled breathily. "Axel…"

"Of course." The Replica interrupted, pounding a fist into his other palm. "More than anything!"

"I'm happy we understand each other." Axel continued, disregarding me completely. I took a step forward, but he purposely turned from me. What was he saying to him? "But I'll tell you this straight up: your case is easier than mine."

"How so?" The Replica was hanging off his every word. How pitiful.

I interrupted him. "Axel, what—"

He held up a hand to silence me and then continued with the Replica. "All you need is strength, whereas I need a heart. See how unattainable the latter is in comparison to the former?" he nodded. "Yes, strength. Get that, and you'll be stronger than the real Riku. You'll be your own person… yeah, you will. You won't even be Riku anymore." He laughed haughtily. "You'll be someone else _completely_!"

"Tell me how!" he nearly screamed at Axel.

I'd had enough of this. I knew what he was doing. He was trying to manipulate this useless puppet into doing whatever he wanted, wasn't he? Oh, Axel—if he was whole, I'm led to believe he would make a living conning babies out of candy. He was a work of art, really he was. Sad, pathetic… as useless as they come. But it was his triviality that annoyed me. What good did he see in keeping this Replica? He needed to be destroyed! Why was I the only one who saw things that way?

"What do you think you're saying?" I snapped at him. For once since their conversation's start, Axel turned to look at me. He had that look in his eyes again. I stared him dead in the eye, refusing to falter. He seemed to find this amusing for I saw a smirk come to his lips nonchalantly. "And what's with you?" I sneered at him. "Suddenly Marluxia falls and you start saying all these absurd things! Don't feed bullshit lies to the Replica especially since you don't even believe them yourself!"

"How would you know what I believe?" he countered. I was even surprised he addressed me, after he'd been ignoring me.

"You don't believe anything! You _don't_ exist!"

"Don't use that against me." He scoffed with an edge to his tone. "You think everything is some kind of methodical scheme, don't you? You think that if you destroyed Riku, you could destroy _me_—" he pursed his lips at this. "—and then destroy the Organization as well…?"

I tried not to gape at him, but it was hard. He knew of my whole plan? But how? I never once trusted him with such information and I sure as hell never spoke aloud of my plan ever! How was this possible? I took a cautious step back… in fear. "What are you… talking about?" I mumbled, defiantly. "I planned no such thing."

"Oh, did you not?" he raised an inquisitive eyebrow towards me. He turned to pace around the Replica, who was still gazing at him like the stars and the moon, waiting for him to speak. "You know nothing of what I believe… Zexion." He sighed once more. "You've never once believed in anything so you can't possibly understand how it _feels_… to be some sort of monstrous catalyst."

"You don't exist! You can't feel anything!" I told him, sternly. I figured if I told him this long enough he would be led back to believing it, but he did not falter. His words sent shivers down my spine and I was left with a crumbling sort of sensation in my legs… they were shaking.

"Not yet." He said to me and then instantly turned towards the Replica once more. In his preaching voice, he told the Replica, "You'll need something extra if you want that type of power that Riku has… because you want to destroy him, right?"

The Replica replied, uneasily. "W-well, yes—"

"You _need_ to destroy him, don't you?" Axel snapped at him, challenging the Replica. He was a genius and even in this moment, I cannot deny it.

The Replica replied almost immediately. "Yes—yes, more than anything!"

"Axel—!"

He turned to me. This was the last I got to see his face so clearly, so changed… so unlike the Axel of the past, and for that matter, of the future. With a smirk on his face, he spoke these words: "I bet he's as good a place to start as any."

I did not understand these words but before I could say anything in my defence, the Replica had shoved Axel aside and instantly grabbed onto my shoulders with binding grip.

I WENT NUMB.

I wanted to scream but I couldn't. It was like I was being constantly gagged to no avail, and the insides of my stomach were pushing their way out through my mouth.

I wanted to move but I couldn't. As if my feet were suctioned to the ground with an incomparable grip…

It felt as if my soul was being pulled out through my fingertips—long pulls resulting in excruciating pain—

But I could feel…?

… I could feel it.

Oh… how painful it was. How _good_ it felt… this pain was something I only imagined in dreams, something of my past life. How good it truly felt…

…

I collapse at once to the ground and struggle to open my eyes. I can faintly see Axel standing above me, the Replica standing beside him… the room spins in an awkward twist and I am left without a soul, without a conscience… this is the end. This is the end of my…

… well. _My life_, I suppose… you could say.

I am telling this to you now because I know within moments I will not be Zexion, as I am no longer Ienzo, and ceased to be for years now. I will have lost my body and lost my soul, I will have lost my memories of when I used to be and when I wanted to be. But the one thing I refuse to let go, the one thing I shared with you… my story. It was the only one I had, and it went terribly wrong… in all the right ways. I don't expect anyone to understand the resolution I feel in being absorbed by the Replica. I do not expect anyone to thoroughly understand my words—

Because he does not exist in the way I never could.

And that makes me _happy_. Very.

---

OKAY. :D Questions? Good, I shall clear them up.

If you're asking what the hell happened at the end, the answer lies within (zomg, get ready for it:o) Chain of Memories, Riku's story:DDD Play it. It's frustrating, but it's a good game. :D

The ending lines are kinda vague, I know—but it's more or less Zexion's redemption… because he knows that the Replica won't end up a greater being than he was, and that alone makes him happy to know that he was still the greater of the two, especially in the last moment. :D Says something for character development, I think. Even the fact that he claims he was happy in the last moments of his life really shows his cryptic view of what he thinks true happiness is. :D OR. I've taken too much literature classes and I need to stop analyzing things? Yep. :D

Anyway. Thanks to everyone who reviewed:D And to those select people who cared enough to review more than once? I love you more than words can tell :DD


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